1.Research Problem: Fresh Direct’s headquarters relocated in the South Bronx area without community input and failed to take into account the adverse environmental and economic impacts on the community. Fresh Direct takes thousands of vehicle trips, introducing more pollution into this area that produces health effects such as asthma. The City’s undemocratic approach is one example of top-down administration and the lack of community consideration in decisions that directly involve them.
2. History of Fresh Direct: Fresh Direct, a grocery delivery service, was based on Long Island City for years, and decided to move to Harlem River Yard in order to expand its facilities to a 500,000 square-foot facility. Fresh Direct delivers to affluent areas in Brooklyn and Manhattan, but it also realizes that South Bronx has no interest in their services due to the lack of food stamps for families in the poverty-stricken neighborhood. The company started as a small business and expanded within the five boroughs as a company with over 2000 employees. However, Fresh Direct is notorious for underpaying its workers, at only $8 an hour, and discriminating minorities. Nevertheless, Mayor Bloomberg and Governor Cuomo are handing over $129 million in tax exemptions and subsidies to Fresh Direct.
History of South Bronx: As community board member Mycal Johnson states, “The South Bronx is the poorest congressional district in the nation, continuously dumped on with all the worst New York City has to offer.” Harlem River Yard, specifically, is historically known as an industry hub. Truck terminals, railroads, and transportation on the water surround the area due to its ideal location. The area is heavily polluted and as a result many of the residents in the area suffer from asthma. South Bronx has an unemployment rate of 11%, 14% of residents under the poverty line, and 66% dependent on food stamps such as WIC and SNAP.
3. An issue surrounding our research problem is the disproportionate distribution of power between private corporations and residents in the affected communities. “Fresh Direct” is a large corporation that is subsidized by the city and state governments of New York, which aims to relocate to a community in the South Bronx. This potential relocation has already been met with major backlash from residents and the South Bronx Unite Platform, who have had absolutely no input in the way in which their community is being reorganized. This top-down method of community planning, in addition to the local and state government’s support of the company, will make it incredibly difficult to address the problem and take measures to prevent the implementation of this plan.
4. Our knowledge right now comes from both community and academic resources. Tom Agnotti describes the overarching theme, the future of public space, in academic resources such as New York for Sale: Community Planning Confronts Global Real Estate. Our knowledge of this specific issue (Fresh Direct) comes primarily from the South Bronx Unite website. This is knowledge from experience because, although we do not have direct experience with the issue, our possible community contact, South Bronx Unite, does.
5. To move forward, we need to obtain more academic knowledge about the demographics and geography of the area. We also need community knowledge about the structure of the community and history of the community. Our next steps are to continue researching the issue and to contact South Bronx Unite. This will allow us to gain knowledge from people with practical experience.
