NEW YORK, NY — New York City officials selected a Hunts Point development in the Bronx as the second site for the city’s municipal grocery store program, advancing a plan designed to lower food costs in neighborhoods facing rising living expenses and limited access to affordable groceries.
The announcement also widened the administration’s search for future grocery store locations in Brooklyn, Queens and Staten Island through a newly launched city portal seeking retail space for additional sites.
The municipal grocery store program, first announced in April, aims to cut operating costs by placing stores on city-owned property. Officials said the city committed $70 million in capital funding to develop five stores across the five boroughs before the end of Mamdani’s first term.
Mayor Zohran Mamdani and the New York City Economic Development Corporation announced the 20,000-square-foot store will open at The Peninsula, a sprawling redevelopment project built on the former Spofford Juvenile Detention Facility site in the South Bronx.
“Making sure every New Yorker can buy fresh, affordable groceries in their own neighborhood is a key part of our affordability agenda," Mamdani said.
Last month, the administration selected La Marqueta in East Harlem as the first location in the program, placing Manhattan at the center of the city’s initial rollout.
Deputy Mayor for Economic Justice Julie Su said the city plans to release a request for proposals this summer seeking private operators to run the stores under affordability standards set by the administration.
The Peninsula project will include 740 units of affordable housing, public open space, industrial and community facilities and the city-run grocery store.
The redevelopment replaces the former Spofford detention center, a site long associated with deteriorating conditions and decades of criticism from residents and advocates.
City officials said Hunts Point was selected in part because of persistent economic hardship in the surrounding area.
According to the administration, more than half of households in the community relied on public assistance within the past year, while 77 percent of nearby households struggle to afford basic necessities.
The City’s new grocery site portal will remain open while officials search for locations in Brooklyn, Queens and Staten Island. Eligible properties must include at least 10,000 square feet of retail space and support store openings by 2029.
“We encourage all property owners in Brooklyn, Queens and Staten Island that meet the criteria to submit their sites for consideration,” said Jeanny Pak.
City officials expect the Peninsula project to open in 2027.
Sign up for free local newsletters and alerts for the
New York City, NY Patch
Patch.com is the nationwide leader in hyperlocal news.
Visit Patch.com to find your town today.