Fresh Direct’s Bronx Foes Weigh Appeal
City Limits
By Jarrett Murphy
Opponents of the proposal to move grocery delivery giant Fresh Direct to a site in the South Bronx were weighing their legal options Tuesday after a state judge late last week shot down a lawsuit that aimed to block the deal, which is backed by the Bloomberg administration and Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz, Jr.
Supporters of the plan, which would move FreshDirect’s headquarters from Queens to the Bronx, argue that it will keep 2,000 jobs in New York City—and eventually bring up to a thousand additional jobs to the city.
Opponents question the value of spending $130 million in public subsidies to move jobs from one borough to another. They also say the truck traffic associated with FreshDirect—938 vehicle trips a day—is unwelcome in an area with heavy truck traffic and high asthma rates.
