The New York City Economic Development Corporation has issued a request for proposals for the purchase and development of a site located in the Zerega Industrial Business Zone in the Castle Hill section of the Bronx. The industrial vacant property is approximately 100,000 sq ft and is comprised of two city-owned lots.

Through participation in HireNYC, a free program that connects the city’s workforce development services to economic projects, the RFP seeks to expand and maintain jobs for the city’s local and disadvantaged residents.

“Activating the city’s underutilized industrial properties is an important part of our efforts to revitalize the industrial sector and the city’s economy as a whole,” said NYCEDC President Seth W. Pinsky. “This large industrial site represents an excellent development opportunity that will create new jobs for the people of the Bronx.”

The Zerega Industrial Business Zone which is served by six subway lines and four bus lines and is easily accessible to the Bruckner Expressway, the Cross Bronx Expressway, the Hutchinson River Parkway, and the Bronx-Whitestone Bridge currently employs over 4,000 people through  a variety of manufacturing, construction, wholesale trade, retail trade, and transport related industries. Companies located in Zerega include Caterpillar, Consolidated Bus Co, FedEx, U.S. Postal Service, Affinity Health Plan, NYS Education Department, Loehmann’s, United Federation of Teachers, Verizon and Home Depot.

“This NYCEDC’s RFP will lead to a greater improvement in the Zerega Industrial  Business Zone, a commercial area that is already very important to our borough and that will be able to grow and offer job possibilities to many more Bronxites,” said Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr.

To obtain a copy of the complete RFP, please visit www.nycedc.com/rfp. Responses are due November 23, 2010 at 4PM.

-Carolina Worrell