Bronx Terminal Market, formerly known as Gateway Center at Bronx Terminal Market is a shopping mall along the Major Deegan Expressway in Concourse, Bronx, New York. The center encompasses just under one million square feet of retail space built on a 17-acre (69,000 m2) site that formerly held a wholesale fruit and vegetable market as well as the former Bronx House of Detention, south of Yankee Stadium.
The US$500 million shopping center, which was completed in 2009, saw the construction of new buildings and two smaller buildings, one new and the other a renovation of an existing building that was part of the original market. The two main buildings are linked by a six-level garage for 2,600 cars. The center has earned itself a LEED "Silver" designation in its design.
Video Bronx Terminal Market
History
Located just south of Yankee Stadium under the Major Deegan Expressway, on a wide road named Exterior Street, Bronx Terminal Market was conceived in 1917 by New York City mayor John F. Hylan. Construction on the market started, but wasn't completed until mayor Fiorello La Guardia took office, in which he enacted a program constructing various markets to provide a home for the city's numerous pushcart vendors. Between October 1, 1934, and May 1, 1935, the city built a new complex just south of the existing unfinished structure. Bronx Terminal Market consisted of small two-story concrete buildings of simple design. Designed by Samuel A. Oxhandler with John D. Churchill and Albert W. Lewis, the buildings were originally painted light yellow. In 1936, the market's flagship structure went up, a small, cubist-style polygon at 149th Street with "Bronx Terminal Market" in large relief in the concrete. This building was designed to serve as a bank and, upstairs, a hotel for farmers. A car float brought in rail cars by barge to the market.
On December 21, 1935, mayor La Guardia appeared at the market to proclaim a citywide ban on the sale, display, and possession of artichokes. The ban was instituted to combat the inflation of artichokes set by mobsters, namely Ciro Terranova. The ban was lifted within a year.
The market eventually grew to become the nation's largest wholesale market for Hispanic foods. The market went into steady decline and became a financial burden for the City in the late 1960s. When City began demolishing the market, however,the Bronx Terminal Market Merchants Association approached developer David Buntzman for help to save it. Buntzman obtained a 99-year lease to the market in 1972 and operated it until 2004. In the market's heyday, it contained nearly 100 tenants and more than 1,000 employees. After a series of protracted legal battles with the City, Buntzman sold his interest to the Related Companies for $42.5 million in 2004.
The nearby 350-cell Bronx County Jail, designed by Joseph Freedlander was built as a Works Progress Administration project and opened in 1937. Later known as the Bronx House of Detention, it was known for its elaborate art deco architectural details. It closed in 2000 and was later acquired by the Related Companies, who demolished it to make way for the new Bronx Terminal Market; some architectural details of the building were saved.
On August 14, 2006, construction began on Bronx Terminal Market, then known as Gateway Center at Bronx Terminal Market, which demolished all buildings on the acquired properties with the exception of the Prow Building, a 20,500-square-foot (1,900 m2) building at the corner of East 149th Street, Exterior Street, and River Avenue. The center was approved after a Community Benefits Agreement was signed. The Home Depot was the first tenant to move in on April 23, 2009.
Maps Bronx Terminal Market
Stores at BTM
Applebee's, AT&T, Babies "R" Us, Bed, Bath & Beyond, Best Buy, BJ's, BX Sports, GameStop, GNC, Harlem Furniture, Home Depot, Marshalls, Raymour & Flanigan, Skechers, Sprint, Subway, T-Mobile, Target, Toys "R" Us, Marisco Centro, Burlington Coat Factory, StubHub.
Anchor tenants
North building
- Target (190,000 ft²)
- The Home Depot (131,000 ft²)
- Vacant, formerly Staples (16,000 ft²)
South building
- BJ's Wholesale Club (135,000 ft²)
- "R" Superstore (77,000 ft²)
- Raymour & Flanigan (50,000 ft²)
- Marshalls (40,000 ft²)
- Best Buy (55,000 ft²)
- Bed Bath & Beyond (40,000 ft²)
Accessibility and transportation
The Bronx Terminal Market is close to the 149th Street-Grand Concourse station, served by the 2, 4, and 5 trains, and from the 161st Street-Yankee Stadium station, served by the 4, B, and D trains. It is very close to the Metro-North Railroad station at Yankee Stadium. For bus transit, one could use Bx1/Bx2 to 149 St/Grand Concourse, Bx19 to Gerard Avenue, or Bx6 and Bx6 SBS to 161 St on Gerard Avenue. MTA New York City Transit's Bx13 bus operates directly to the center. The center is also accessible by car via exits #4, 5, and 6 on the Major Deegan Expressway.
References
External links
- Official website
Source of the article : Wikipedia