The Hunts Point Terminal Market in New York City’s South Bronx isn’t going anywhere soon. Thousands of refrigerated big rigs deliver fresh fruits and vegetable to the world’s largest wholesale operation on a weekly basis.
Negotiations between New York City and the wholesale produce maket have stalled. Hunts Point merchants have used New Jersey as a bargaining tool as wholesalers have threated to move Hunts Point across the Hudson River if NYC didn’t meet their demands.
Now the wholesalers are biding their time until 2014 when Mayor Bloomberg will be replaced by a new major.
There was an exclusive agreement between the two parties which prevented relocation of Hunts Point to New Jersey. The Garden State has been attempting to lure Hunts Point for decades.
However, a lease extension offered by New York City was recently rejected by the market’s board of directors.
One of the issues is Hunt Point tenants wants the city’s Business Integrity Commission, which is responsible for ending organized crime influence, to settle some issues that could disrupt the operations of wholesalers.
While Hunt Point officials have long said they are considering moving the market to New Jersey, most really want to remain right where they are, with New York City paying for major infrastructure improvements on the market.
The South Bronx location is ideal since it is nestled in the nation’s most heavily populated metroplex, plus has easy access to New England states. Meanwhile, many produce haulers would prefer the market did move to New Jersey, lessening their gridlock woes in having to cross various Hudson River Bridges to get to the market.