Hunts Point Produce Market in Line for $635M Rebuild

Eric Adams’ administration is leaving Zohran Mamdani with another task: fixing the Hunts Point Produce Market.

Adams announced a project to redevelop the Bronx wholesale complex responsible for distributing much of the city’s fresh fruit and vegetables, Bloomberg reported. The project comes as the aging facility is weighed down by pollution and old infrastructure.

Expected to cost $635 million, the redevelopment is expected to replace the facility with an all-electric market with better access to freight and rail transport. A joint venture led by Aurora Contractors and Primus Builders will eliminate diesel-powered transport refrigeration units, add refrigerated warehouse space and increase site-wide circulation, according to New York YIMBY.

Financing for the project is split relatively evenly between federal grants ($145 million), New York City ($130 million) and New York State ($130 million). The city is also expecting to land $230 million in federal debt from the Department of Transportation.

The 100-acre facility handles more than 2.5 billion pounds of fruits and vegetables annually and is responsible for supplying approximately a quarter of the city’s produce to its restaurants, bodegas and independent grocers.

In addition to creating 2,000 construction jobs, the redevelopment is expected to preserve existing employment at the facility. The next step in the project will be design work and environmental reviews overseen by the city’s Economic Development Corporation. Construction is being targeted for a start late next year.

“This agreement represents an important milestone and creates a clear framework for the next phase of work as we advance planning and design for a modern, more sustainable market that supports our mission of feeding New York City with fresh produce from around the world,” said Hunts Point Produce Market co-president Stephen Katzman, who added that he looked forward to collaborating with the Mamdani administration on the project.

— Holden Walter-Warner