Key Takeaways
- • Prologis, one of the largest industrial warehouse managers in the U.S., is evaluating a nearly 400,000-square-foot former New York Post printing plant at 900 E. 132nd St. in the South Bronx, according to The City Reporter.
- • Prologis spokesperson Mattie Sorrentino says there is no "final project plan" or "customer" for the site and that the company is "evaluating" it, while denying it has acquired the building.
- • Prologis has lobbied local officials on the site since 2021, spending at least $15,000 on related lobbying contracts in the past year and over $100,000 last year on last-mile warehouse rules and pollution legislation.
- • Community group South Bronx Unite and environmental group Waterfront Alliance say Prologis indicated on Oct. 9 it planned to proceed with a warehouse, a claim the company disputes.
- • The site sits in Mott Haven and Port Morris, an area known as "asthma alley," and is partly state-owned land leased to Galesi Group under a 99-year lease since 1991.
Summary
Prologis, a logistics real estate company whose tenants include Amazon, FedEx and Home Depot, is eyeing a nearly 400,000-square-foot industrial building at 900 E. 132nd St. in the South Bronx, according to The City Reporter. The once-public building served as the New York Post's printing plant until 2021 and has been vacant since the newspaper moved operations to Queens. Lobbying records and local accounts indicate Prologis has been interested in the site for years.
Local opposition has grown. A community group rallied at the site on a Thursday against the proposed warehouse, which would be located in Mott Haven and Port Morris, areas known as "asthma alley" for having some of the highest childhood asthma rates in the country. Mychal Johnson, co-founder of South Bronx Unite, said at the press conference that the community should not be the place for facilities that worsen air quality. The group had held an August meeting with residents and MIT researchers on alternative uses, including a clean energy hub, community center or solar space.
Prolgis, through spokesperson Mattie Sorrentino, called claims that it has acquired the building "inaccurate and outdated" and said there is no "customer or final project plan at this time." The company said it is "evaluating the site, as we do other potential projects in the region." However, South Bronx Unite and the Waterfront Alliance said that during an Oct. 9 meeting, Prologis essentially confirmed plans to move forward with a warehouse and suggested the project could be part of the city's Blue Highways program. Sorrentino said the site has not been selected for that program, which is a joint initiative of the city Economic Development Corporation and Department of Transportation to shift freight from highways to waterways.
City and state records show Prologis began lobbying local officials about the site in 2021 and continued through this summer, spending at least $15,000 on related contracts in the past year. Last year, the company also spent over $100,000 lobbying on last-mile special permits, a proposed zoning change adding scrutiny to new warehouses, and legislation to regulate air pollution from last-mile warehouses. A 2022 report by The Real Deal said Prologis was in "late-stage talks" to acquire the property at that time.
The site is partly owned by the state Department of Transportation, while Galesi Group has controlled it through a 99-year lease since 1991, originally intended to expand freight rail, according to a State Comptroller report and property records. A nearby freight rail line, Oak Point Link, was built a year later. The lease is still held by Galesi Group, per property records. Advocates argue diesel truck exhaust from last-mile warehouses is a public health threat, while Waterfront Alliance vice president Furhana Husani said residents were not consulted until a plan appeared to be in place. Sorrentino said Prologis recognizes local concerns and intends to remain a long-term partner in the region.
Local opposition has grown. A community group rallied at the site on a Thursday against the proposed warehouse, which would be located in Mott Haven and Port Morris, areas known as "asthma alley" for having some of the highest childhood asthma rates in the country. Mychal Johnson, co-founder of South Bronx Unite, said at the press conference that the community should not be the place for facilities that worsen air quality. The group had held an August meeting with residents and MIT researchers on alternative uses, including a clean energy hub, community center or solar space.
Prolgis, through spokesperson Mattie Sorrentino, called claims that it has acquired the building "inaccurate and outdated" and said there is no "customer or final project plan at this time." The company said it is "evaluating the site, as we do other potential projects in the region." However, South Bronx Unite and the Waterfront Alliance said that during an Oct. 9 meeting, Prologis essentially confirmed plans to move forward with a warehouse and suggested the project could be part of the city's Blue Highways program. Sorrentino said the site has not been selected for that program, which is a joint initiative of the city Economic Development Corporation and Department of Transportation to shift freight from highways to waterways.
City and state records show Prologis began lobbying local officials about the site in 2021 and continued through this summer, spending at least $15,000 on related contracts in the past year. Last year, the company also spent over $100,000 lobbying on last-mile special permits, a proposed zoning change adding scrutiny to new warehouses, and legislation to regulate air pollution from last-mile warehouses. A 2022 report by The Real Deal said Prologis was in "late-stage talks" to acquire the property at that time.
The site is partly owned by the state Department of Transportation, while Galesi Group has controlled it through a 99-year lease since 1991, originally intended to expand freight rail, according to a State Comptroller report and property records. A nearby freight rail line, Oak Point Link, was built a year later. The lease is still held by Galesi Group, per property records. Advocates argue diesel truck exhaust from last-mile warehouses is a public health threat, while Waterfront Alliance vice president Furhana Husani said residents were not consulted until a plan appeared to be in place. Sorrentino said Prologis recognizes local concerns and intends to remain a long-term partner in the region.
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