Court Approves FreshDirect Bronx Facility But Environmental Concerns Remain
Gothamist
By Rebecca Fishbell
This week, the state's Appellate Court voted in favor of the FreshDirect facility planned for the Bronx's Port Morris neighborhood, supporting a move by a Bronx Supreme Court judge to dismiss an environmental lawsuit lodged against the company last year. But critics are still concerned about further developing the highly contaminated area, and community groups continue to oppose the deal.
In a decision [PDF] released on Thursday, an Appellate Court judge found that the city—which is subsidizing much of the facility—did not improperly conduct an environmental review of the area. The court's decision was lauded by Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz, Jr., who praised the project for adding 1,000 new jobs in the Bronx, and relocating 2,000 jobs to the borough from Queens. "FreshDirect will continue to be a great asset to the Bronx. My office has, since day one, understood that this project is crucial to the future economic health and vitality of the Bronx, and I am glad to see that the continued legal efforts to stop this critical project have been thoroughly dismissed," he said in a statement.
