Archives of the Mayor's Press Office

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Date: Wednesday, February 14, 2001

Release # 044-01

 
Contact: Sunny Mindel/Curt Ritter
Gregory Miley/Janel Patterson
212-788-2958
212-312-3523 (EDC)
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MAYOR GIULIANI OUTLINES PLANS FOR FULTON FISH MARKET'S MOVE TO NEW STATE-OF-THE-ART SEAFOOD MARKET AT HUNTS POINT

$1 Billion Industry Will Bring 1,000 Jobs to the Bronx


Mayor Rudolph W. Giuliani today provided details regarding the move of the Fulton Fish Market to the Hunts Point Food Distribution Center in the Bronx, which he announced during his State of the City Address last month. To facilitate this move the City will construct an approximately 285,000-square-foot state-of-the-art facility, which will be called the Fulton Fish Market at Hunts Point, on 30 acres of vacant land at the southern end of the Hunts Point Food Distribution Center. The move adheres to new regulations implemented by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration that prohibit selling seafood outdoors, which is the practice at the Market's current location.

"Moving the Fulton Fish Market to Hunts Point is good news for everyone who is involved in the Market," said Mayor Giuliani. "The fish merchants will get a new, safe and efficient facility that will provide space to grow and expand; retailers, restaurants and consumers will get top-quality seafood products; and the Bronx will become the home of the country's preeminent wholesale food market. The Hunts Point Food Distribution Center will house the meat market, the produce market, and now the Fulton Fish Market."

The new market will be a gated facility with controlled access. It will be more efficient and cut unloading time by 50 percent, from five hours to two- and-a-half hours. It will provide fish vendors the opportunity to extend their business hours, since the current hours of operation at the South Street Seaport location are restricted because public streets are used for selling and moving product from stalls to customers' vehicles. It is also expected that the convenient location at Hunts Point will provide easy access to a larger regional marketplace for seafood products. The new market will be 35,000 square feet larger than the current market and create almost 200 additional jobs, bringing approximately 1,000 jobs to the Bronx.

The Bronx and Hunts Point communities will benefit from this project in many ways. In addition to new jobs and added revenue, the City is upgrading the rail infrastructure at Hunts Point to encourage greater use of rail freight movement to reduce air pollution and truck traffic on the streets. The City will also support a reconstruction of the nearby Bruckner and Sheridan Expressways to provide direct truck access to the Hunts Point Food Distribution Center.

Bronx Borough President Fernando Ferrer said, "Bringing the Fulton Fish Market to the Hunts Point Market is a good economic development initiative. While such an initiative raises potential issues such as increased traffic and infrastructure requirements, we have spoken with City officials and have been assured that such issues will be satisfactorily addressed as the project moves forward. Accordingly, we welcome the Fulton Fish Market and its 1,000 jobs to New York City's breadbasket, the Hunts Point Market."

The Environmental Impact Statement for the project is expected to be finalized this Spring, and final design is due in the early summer. Construction is anticipated to begin soon afterward and expected to be completed in 18 months.

"The Fulton Fish Market is more than bricks and mortar," said Deputy Mayor for Economic Development and Finance Robert M. Harding. "By building a new market that will ensure the long-term viability of this industry, we are providing the fish merchants with a real future and preserving an important piece of New York City history."

Deputy Mayor for Community Development and Business Services Rudy Washington said, "Fulton Fish Market, the most well known market in the country, will become equally as famous as the most modern, safe, sanitary and convenient fish wholesale market in the world."

The New York City Economic Development Corporation (EDC) is responsible for leasing and development of the Fulton Fish Market as well as the Hunts Point markets. EDC developed a schematic design for the new facility. Based on this conceptual design, the preliminary budget for the project is estimated at $81 million.

"Moving the fish market will be good for Lower Manhattan," said EDC President Michael G. Carey. "Redevelopment of the buildings in and around the fish market will result in more residential housing and neighborhood amenities. The landmarked South Street Seaport neighborhood will become a more desirable residential, retail and expanded museum district."

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