NEW YORK — Efforts to relocate wholesalers on the Hunts Point Terminal Market into new and updated operations remain at a standstill.
Market co-chairman Matthew D’Arrigo, vice president of D’Arrigo Bros. Co. of New York Inc., said negotiations with the city of New York have stalled.
He said talks between the market and the city likely won’t resume in earnest until early 2014, after a new mayor enters office.
“Talks about the market rebuilt with the city are on the back burner. There’s been no progress and we have had very little success convincing the administration that our concerns are valid,” D’Arrigo said. “We are no longer in an exclusive arrangement with them.
“We will see what happens either during the rest of the Bloomberg administration or look forward to talking with a new administration,” he said.
D’Arrigo That “exclusive arrangement” involves discussions preventing the relocation of the market to neighboring New Jersey. That state has previously encouraged the wholesalers to move to a facility across the Hudson River.
In a Jan. 13 njbiz.com story, market officials said a Crain’s New York Business story incorrectly reported the market reaching a deal to remain in New York City.
D’Arrigo said the market board rejected a city offer to modify a lease extension.
He said the market wants to settle issues involving the city’s Business Integrity Commission, an agency tasked with ending organized crime influence, which D’Arrigo said could disrupt wholesaler operations.
Ira Nathel, president and vegetable buyer at Nathel & Nathel Inc., said negotiations haven’t gone well.
“The city’s hard to deal with,” he said. “They don’t seem to negotiate.”
Regarding a potential relocation, a market spokesman said the co-op is still considering all options that can best serve the distributors, according to the news report.
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