|
|
This fall, the Fulton Fish Market will relocate to Hunts Point, the Bronx
|
On a brisk morning in June, the atmosphere at the Fulton Fish Market is vibrant and the fishy smell is still strong. But as of this fall, the fishmongers will be gone, taking their wholesale operations and the sometimes less-than-pleasant accompanying odor with them as they relocated to a large, indoor refrigerated facility in Hunts Point, the Bronx.
Originally scheduled for January and then July, the market's exodus was delayed again until October to allow for the addition of extra safety and security items at the new site, such as a walkway from the employee parking, according to a representative from the city's Economic Development Corporation, the agency responsible for leasing and development of the Hunts Point markets.
Since construction began on the new $85 million, 400,000-square-foot indoor facility, the approximately 50 wholesalers who are moving were consulted in its design. In its current Lower Manhattan location, much of the market consists of rows of iced boxes stacked along both sides of the dimly lit South Street, violating federal regulations about selling seafood outdoors. The new fish market, which will be known as the Fulton Fish Market at Hunts Point, will be bright and hygienic. Improvements, including constant refrigeration, larger storage facilities, and faster unloading, will make it easier for wholesalers to maintain the quality of the fish. It will be second only in size to Tokyo's fish market.
 |
| New facility will be indoors and refrigerated |
"[The new facility] is absolutely stunning," says Anthony Grippa, who has worked at Universal Seafood since 1972. "Every stall was designed for our own specifications. The city was very gracious to us in this deal."
The new facility will provide fish wholesalers the opportunity to extend their business hours, since current operations take place on public streets forcing them to close by mid-morning. There, arrows on the floor will direct a fleet of new battery-operated forklifts past vendor stalls flanking a central corridor, with sinks, floor drains, and other instruments of government-regulated food safety.
The new facility will support the simultaneous unloading of 30 semi-trucks as they transport fish to the wholesalers, compared to 12 at the seaport. The site will have ten separate entrances to the parking lot and will be enclosed by a controlled gate. The EDC estimates that the new layout will increase efficiency and cut unloading time by 50 percent.
 |
| Coiro eagerly anticipated the move but will miss downtown |
For Fulton merchants like Joe Coiro, the move cannot come quickly enough. "We feel really good about the move because there will be better working conditions," says Coiro, who started working at the Fulton Fish Market in 1976. With the new facility, there will be no worrying about pigeon excrements falling onto fish boxes or hot summer days causing the ice that keeps the fish cold to melt, he adds. But though optimistic about the move, he does have some misgivings. "I'll miss downtown," he says.
Though no one denies that the facilities will be much improved, fishmongers like Joe Fassari complain about the longer commute ahead of him. "Personally, I don't want to move. It's a long haul for me," he says about the extra hour added on to his commute from Staten Island. Others worry that customers may fall away because of the inconvenience of having to travel outside Manhattan. And still others worry that despite the initial financial package, which was designed to make it appealing for the wholesalers to move, operating in a refrigerated facility will prove more costly over time. "It's a necessary evil," Grippa says. "In order for the fish to stay fresh, it has to stay cold."
Increased operating costs and longer commutes aside, the biggest drawback many fishmongers will face in the move will be the emotional challenge of leaving their roots. "I know I'm going to be homesick," says Fassari, who has worked at the market since 1970.
It is easy to be sentimental about the Fulton Fish Market, which has occupied its South Street location since 1822. The market has a life of its own. In its nighttime version, the four blocks on South Street are crowded with vans, forklifts, and merchants. Or, arrive at daybreak, when the sky is turning pink beyond the Brooklyn Bridge, and witness the market's choreographed chaos -- salesmen shouting orders, the beep, beep, beep of whizzing forklifts.
The camaraderie among the fishmongers is playful and warm. Hang around them long enough, and even the thick smell of fish seems to fade. And the history of the place is palpable, saturated in the cobblestone streets wetted by fish juices. When it's in full swing, imagining the market when closed -- when the surrounding area is transformed into a tourist haven for restaurants and clothing stores -- is almost impossible.
But the vibrant energy of the historic Fulton Fish Market will surely carry these guys safely to the shores of Hunts Point, leaving behind the memories of an unforgettable place.
To view a slide show of the Fulton Fish Market, please click here.
|
