Marshalls To Open This Week In George Washington Bridge Terminal

WASHINGTON HEIGHTS, NY — The retail section of the renovated George Washington Bridge bus terminal will get a much-needed shot in the arm this week when one of its largest tenants opens for business.

Marshalls announced that it will hold a grand opening at the George Washington Bridge Market Thursday morning from 7:30-9 a.m. The new 29,000-square-foot department store will be one of the terminal's largest tenants and is one of the first big-name retailers to open within the terminal since renovations ended in May.

"Our newest store in Washington Heights will offer an ever-changing selection of high-quality, on-trend and brand-name merchandise at the amazing prices that Marshalls is known for. Our buyers search the globe to discover the best in every department, and we’re excited to bring those finds to a new neighborhood," Tim Miner, president of Marshalls, said in a statement.

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In addition to opening a new store in Washington Heights, Marshalls pledged $10,000 to community nonprofit organization Fresh Youth Initiatives. With Fresh Youth Initiatives, Marshalls held a mural design competition for neighborhood children. The winner's mural will be unveiled Wednesday on a four-story building on St. Nicholas Avenue and West 173rd Street, according to a press release.

But in the past Marshalls has also drawn the ire of many in the Washington Heights community, both for its actions and as a symbol for greed and dysfunction at the new George Washington Bridge terminal. In August a number of local elected officials and labor representatives rallied outside the store to demand the Port Authority, developers and retail tenants uphold promises to hire from within the local community.

Picketers stood outside the new Marshalls store — one of the big-box retailers that will be moving into the terminal — and chanted "What do we want? Jobs! When do we need them? Now!" and "Respect, respect, respect the community!"

It wasn't until after that rally that Marshall's held hiring fairs in Washington Heights and Inwood.

Many also believe that big-name retailers moving into the George Washington Bridge terminal have been given preferential treatment compared to local small businesses with lease agreements in the renovated retail space. During a March 16 community meeting the developers behind the bus station came under fire for misleading small businesses that leased space in the new station. Due to the construction setbacks, small businesses have had to delay their opening by years, throwing many of the mom-and-pop shops into a financial hole.

The renovation project was expected to cost $183 million and take one year to complete — it ended up taking three years and close to $200 million, officials said Tuesday. The development was a public-private venture between the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey and an entity called the George Washington Bridge Bus Station Development Venture.

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