CB2 wants equity with EDC Hunts Point Vision Plan
BY JASON COHEN
As the NYC Economic Development
Corporation (EDC) moves forward
with its 20-year Hunts Point Vision
Plan, members of Community
Board 2 want the project to be equitable
for all residents, not just the corporations
in the area.
EDC is the biggest landlord in the
district and has multiple projects underway.
In addition to the city’s Food
Distribution Center, which provides
almost fi ve billion pounds of food to
restaurants, supermarkets and bodegas,
Hunts Point is home to 12,000 residents
— many who work in essential
service industries.
Because of the unique importance
of Hunts Point, in 2004, the city and
the community developed the Hunts
Point Vision Plan through a joint planning
process. The plan focused on improving
the quality of life and overall
community safety, and subsequently
brought hundreds of new jobs and opportunities
to residents. According to
Community Board 2 District Manager
Ralph Acevedo, Hunts Point Forward
was created in coordination with the
vision plan to consolidate the projects
and hold the EDC more accountable.
But on Dec. 8, Acevedo expressed
his frustrations with the EDC when
the city agency provided an update on
the plan to the CB2 Economic Development
and Municipal Services Committee.
A 2004 vision plan has looked to revitalize the Hunts Point area. Photo courtesy NYC EDC
Acevedo said the board wants
to make sure the vision plan isn’t just
to improve the business of EDC tenants
— like Baldor, Anheuser-Busch
and Krasdale — but rather the entire
community.
“EDC is the gatekeeper here and
what they’re proposing sounds good,
but we don’t know how much will actually
BRONX TIMES REPORTER, D 6 EC. 24-30, 2021 BTR
happen,” Acevedo said. “When
the fi nal product is made, we want to
make sure there is equity in our district.”
Nate Gray, vice president of EDC,
seemed caught off guard that Acevedo
would assert EDC was not trying
to help everyone. Gray said EDC held
a public meeting in February and two
in September for the community to attend
and participate in.
Acevedo spoke with the Bronx
Times after the Dec. 8 meeting and
further explained the board’s position.
The district manager said the
board has always supported the Hunts
Point Vision Plan, but is concerned
EDC shows favoritism to its own tenants.
“I’ve also pushed EDC to have their
tenants get more involved with the local
community since the residents are
impacted the greatest,” Acevedo said.
“That’s a goal of mine since I became
district manager. If I’m not mistaken,
they all benefi t from tax incentives
and have long-term leases at affordable
rents.”
Since becoming district manager
in 2016, Acevedo has been advocating
for EDC to incentivize businesses in
hiring locally and contributing to local
community-based organizations
and churches. The hope is that the
EDC will work with local residents to
fi nd them employment, he said.
“These are career, union jobs that
can make a fi nancial impact on local
families,” Acevedo said. “EDC can
spearhead this.”
Beyond the recommendations outlined
in the 2004 vision plan, the EDC
and city agencies are advancing several
signifi cant projects in Hunts
Point:
Redevelopment of the Spofford Juvenile
Detention Center into The Peninsula,
a mixed-use campus with more
than 700 affordable homes, public open
space, commercial and community facility
space, and industrial jobs.
Planning for a new Hunts Point
Metro-North Railroad station that will
connect local residents to jobs and destinations
in Manhattan, the Hudson
Valley and Connecticut.
Committing $67 million to upgrade
the Hunts Point Wastewater Treatment
Plant to improve air quality and
energy effi ciency.
Protecting New York City’s food
supply by providing back-up power to
critical facilities in the Hunts Point
Food Distribution Center through a
tri-generation microgrid.
Enhancing social resiliency by implementing
solar energy and storage at
two neighborhood schools, which can
serve as community gathering spaces
during emergencies.
According to Chairman Robert
Crespo, the board can’t fully support
EDC’s plans unless it is completely
involved in the process. Crespo added
that CB2 was not even invited to a ribbon
cutting earlier this year for the
unveiling of the largest solar panel
project in the borough at Krasdale.
“Your meetings that you had in
the community, when and where
were they?” Crespo asked. “I’ve never
seen any meetings.”
However, an EDC spokesman disagrees
with Acevedo’s assertion that
it does not look for residents.
“Connecting Hunts Point community
members to good paying jobs
could not be more important,” the
spokesman said. “NYCEDC is working
closely and diligently with the
community on the Hunts Point Vision
Plan, which will address and develop
recommendations that have a
lasting impact on people’s lives. We
have heard from residents and community
stakeholders about what they
would like to see implemented and
look forward to fi nalizing a plan that
is truly refl ective of the neighborhood’s
needs.”