230th Street shopping plans come into focus

Here is our headlining story from this week's Riverdale Review.

By Brendan McHugh 

The city’s Economic Development Corporation is choosing between five bids for the 230th Street development, ranging from a single supermarket to a 16-story mixed-use development with 200 units of housing. 

The development will rise near the corner of 230th Street and Broadway, sandwiched between the elevated No. 1 subway and the Major Deegan Expressway. 

A source close to the project laid out basic details of the plans and stressed that they were in no particular order. 

The first, which the source dubbed the “Foodtown murderer,” is a 72,000-square-foot supermarket with 300 parks spaces on the roof. Foodtown, which was recently renovated, is directly across the street. 

Another proposal is a 32,000-square-foot, two story building with a supermarket on the ground floor. The second floor would be office space, and 90 parking spots would be available at grade level. 

A third project has 133,000 square feet of retail space as a two-story building. It would be a mix of businesses, such as a specialty grocer and national chains. There would also be 130 parking spaces below grade. 

The last two projects both include housing. The 16-story, 200-unit building would also have a 300-space parking garage and 32,000 square feet of retail, such as a restaurant and possible a movie theater. 

The final project has 184,000 square feet of retail, including potentially a supermarket, a fitness center and other shops. There would be 66 units of housing and 217 parking spaces. There was no information about the height of the building. 

The source speculated that any office space would be easily filled up by a medical center either looking to expand or just for storage. 

Because of the location, the traffic concerns and quality of life issues, Community Board 8 passed a resolution earlier this month recommending to EDC that housing not be included in the winning bid. EDC said they would review each proposal based on a number of criteria, including community input. 

A decision by EDC is expected sometime in early February. 

The location as it is now is a 75,000-square-foot parking lot. The city required that at least one commercial parking space be provided for every 1,000-square-foot of commercial development and the number of residential spaces be equal to at least 50 percent of the total residential units. 

Community Board 8 has also asked the EDC that the public still have use to the parking facilities, even if they are not shopping in that building specifically. 

The city also asked that each building achieve at a Leadership in Energry and Environmental Design (LEED) rating of at least Silver by the federal government. 

This is the second attempt to develop this project over the past decade. Ceruzzi Holdings was about the close on a deal early in 2011 but was unable to, forfeiting a $1 million purchase price before even putting a shovel into the ground. 

Local organization Kingsbridge Riverdale Van Cortlandt Development Corporation is involved with one of the two housing projects, though they have confidentiality agreements not to discuss the development. In 2005, when the city first solicited Requests for Proposals, KRVCDC submitted a proposal similar to 16-story building.