An infamous Bronx jail barge that was taken out of commission years ago will finally be getting the boot to make way for a new marine terminal, bringing in billions of dollars and hundreds of jobs to the Big Apple, Mayor Eric Adams announced Monday.
The new Hunts Point facility, slated to open by 2030 or 2031, will replace the Vernon C. Bain Center – which used to house up to 800 inmates in its heyday, before being decommissioned in 2023.
“This barge is a symbol that everything bad gets built and located in the Bronx,” Adams said at a press conference unveiling the plan.
“In just a few years, we will be standing here to see cargo from all around the globe being moved off our ships and onto e-bikes, barges and ferries for the last mile delivery to all five boroughs,” he said.
The terminal will create an estimated 100 permanent jobs, over 400 construction jobs and bring in more than $3.9 billion over 30 years, according to city officials.
New York City Economic Development Corporation head honcho Andrew Kimball said that the group in charge of the Big Apple’s investments will release a request for proposal to remove the barge within 60 to 90 days and that a preliminary design is being considered.
Kimball noted that the terminal will unlock even more economic activity due to its connection with the rest of the city’s terminals and skyports.
“So whether it’s fish or meat or produce or many of the other private companies here, once they begin to use the blue highway for the movement of goods, we believe they will also see economic benefit and job creation here,” Kimball said.
