NYCEDC Issues Request for Proposals (RFP) for New York City’s First-of-its-Kind Freight-Focused Electric Vehicle Charging Facility and Multi-Purpose Welcome Center in The Hunts Point Peninsula in the Bronx

Backed by a $15 Million Grant by the Federal Highway Administration, the Charging Facility Will be Located Within the Hunts Point Food Distribution Center in the Bronx

Freight-Focused Electric Vehicle Charging Facility Will Deliver on New York City Green Economy Action Plan, Mayor Adams’ “PlaNYC: Getting Sustainability Done,” and Hunts Point Forward

NEW YORK, NY—New York City Economic Development Corporation (NYCEDC) today released a Request for Proposals (RFP) for a developer to lease, develop, and operate the city’s first community-driven freight focused electric vehicle charging depot, a multi-purpose welcome center, and workforce development hub within the Hunts Point Food Distribution Center (FDC) in the Bronx. The charging depot will establish a supportive ecosystem for zero-emission freight in Hunts Point, encouraging electric vehicle (EV) adoption by reducing the need for existing tenants to make infrastructure upgrades at their leased locations, which is often too costly and time-intensive for tenants to do on their own.

The charging depot will serve as a critical component of New York City’s Green Economy Action Plan announced in February 2024 that aims to activate electric vehicle charging infrastructures and enable low-carbon alternatives in the transportation sector. This first-of-its-kind plan announced by Mayor Eric Adams, NYCEDC, and the Mayor’s Office of Talent and Workforce Development (NYCTalent) lays out a series of commitments and strategies that will bolster economic growth, create thousands of jobs, encourage public-private partnerships, and train and position New Yorkers, particularly those from environmentally disadvantaged communities, to benefit from the nearly 400,000 projected green collar jobs in New York City by 2040.

The electric vehicle charging station will also build on Mayor Adams’ Rebuild, Renew, Reinvent: A Blueprint for New York City’s Economic Recovery, PlaNYC: Getting Sustainability Done and Hunts Point Forward that aims to make Hunts Point a model of industrial resilience and sustainability.

“Hunts Point Market is the breadbasket of America—home to the largest food distribution center in the world—and now, thanks to our administration’s investments, the path from farm to New Yorkers’ tables will be getting a lot greener,” said New York City Mayor Eric Adams. “With the release of this RFP, we are planting the seed for a new kind of partnership that will include a first-of-its-kind, freight-focused electric vehicle charging depot and a workforce development hub that will build a brighter, greener future for this bread-and-butter industry. This is all part of a wider vision, both to transform our waterfronts and shorelines into a ‘Harbor of the Future,’ and to implement our ‘Green Economy Action Plan,’ to create 400,000 ‘green-collar’ jobs by 2040. We’re excited to take this next step in our mission to build the economy of the future we expect, so that we resemble the city we deserve.”

“The Adams Administration's Green Economy Action Plan set a bold course for the City of New York to pursue economic growth, unlock family-sustaining green-collar jobs and work to confront the existential challenge of our time: climate change,” said Deputy Mayor for Housing, Economic Development and Workforce Maria Torres-Springer. “Building freight EV charging infrastructure in Hunts Point is another meaningful advancement in the Green Economy and is particularly important because this sizable investment will be made directly in a neighborhood and community that has disproportionately suffered the adverse health impacts caused largely by emissions from fossil fuel-powered vehicles.”

“Building the nation’s first community-driven freight-focused electric vehicle charging depot in Hunts Point demonstrates how committed the city is in delivering environmental justice to a neighborhood that has been severely impacted by air pollution while taking a major step for the City’s Green Economy Action Plan and Hunts Point Forward,” said NYCEDC President & CEO Andrew Kimball. “In addition to the electrification efforts, the project will also deliver career-oriented, good-paying jobs related to food distribution and clean energy among other relevant industries.”

“This RFP will help Hunts Point and surrounding communities in the South Bronx reverse a legacy of environmental injustice by creating the infrastructure to expand low carbon alternatives in the vital freight industry”, said Mayor's Office of Talent and Workforce Development Executive Director Abby Jo Sigal. “The workforce development hub integrates classroom training and on-site employer partnerships, critical to positioning New Yorkers for good paying green collar jobs while helping the city meet its climate goals and making the city more resilient for future generations.”

“Now we are seeing how our historic investments in the green economy are making a real difference in communities,” said Mayor’s Office of Climate & Environmental Justice Executive Director Elijah Hutchinson. “The EV charging depot and workforce development hub will help reduce harmful transportation emissions, advance better health for Hunts Point residents, boost economic development, and create local green jobs – all furthering New York City’s just transition to clean energy.”

The RFP seeks to:

• Develop Freight-Focused EV Charging Facilities on the site
• Deliver an electric vehicle charging system using a business model capable of charging a range of vehicles and aim to maximize the number of medium- and heavy-duty vehicles charging on the site with a focus on vehicles currently using the Hunts Point FDC.
• Develop Multi-Purpose Welcome Center and Workforce Development Hub
• Construct an on-site multi-purpose welcome center, co-branded with EDC, that would serve as the front door to the FDC highlighting its history, businesses, workers, and redevelopment plans as well as a meeting point for visitors and tour groups that offers a range of driver amenities for users of the EV charging hub while providing a centralized location for workforce development programming serving the FDC and the broader Hunts Point neighborhood.
• Address Environmental Justice Concerns, Especially Air Quality
• Aim to demonstrably reduce the emissions of harmful air pollutants and particulate matter and incorporate both accessibility considerations and sustainable building strategies into the Project design.
• Reduce Entry Barriers to Electrification for Current FDC Tenants
• Aim to stimulate a broader sector transition to electric vehicles among local fleets, independent truck owners, and other industrial freight users, including FDC tenants and customer fleets, by reducing barriers to fleet electrification.
• Create and Preserve Quality Jobs
• Deliver a comprehensive workforce development program that supports communities, helps create quality job opportunities, and utilizes Disadvantage Business Enterprises (DBE) firms in the project’s implementation.

NYCEDC has also launched a RFP-partner form for potential respondents interested in partnering with other potential Respondents to this RFP or other interested parties. Respondent information that has been submitted through the Partner Form will be made available only to other Respondents, collectively, that have submitted their own responses. RFP respondents are encouraged to consider the involvement of community-based organizations and other potential Respondents when developing their proposals.

“The creation of a community-driven freight electric charging depot is a critical step towards addressing long-term environmental concerns in Hunts Pont” said Bronx Borough President Vanessa L. Gibson. “For decades, the Hunts Point community has been unjustly oversaturated by air pollution due to truck traffic. The new charging facility and multi-purpose welcome and workforce center will result in a crucial reduction to emissions while also creating quality jobs, preserving Hunts Point as one of the most important employment centers in the city. I want to thank NYCEDC for continuing to support The Bronx as a great place to do business.”

“Hunts Point and the South Bronx are natural locations for projects that advance New York City's transition to clean energy due to the historic air quality issues from the transportation sector,” said New York State Senator Jose Serrano. “Projects that focus on carbon neutrality reduce harmful emissions to help to provide better air quality and benefits to the residents of Hunts Points’ neighborhoods. I thank NYCEDC for taking this much-needed step towards sustainability by developing a community-driven freight focused electric vehicle charging depot.”

The charging depot is anticipated to include a mix of direct current (DC) fast chargers, level 2 chargers for class 3-8 trucks and light duty vehicles, reducing a significant barrier to adoption by undercapitalized fleets and independent owner-operators in the South Bronx. In addition to the charging depot, the redeveloped space will feature a multi-purpose welcome center that will provide information to visitors of the FDC, education that highlights the FDC’s history; offer a rest area for driver and users of the charging depot. Additionally, a workforce development hub will feature centralized information about current FDC tenants and on-site job opportunities, classroom space for workforce providers to offer training programs, and event space for a range of workforce and community-driven events.

In March, NYCEDC announced the selection of Wildflower to develop the largest public electric vehicle charging station in New York City. The development will include an initial 65 EV-ready charging stations, including 12 rapid charging stations, available 24/7 and can expand over time to support other vehicles including electric trucks, especially as the demand for these sites grows. The project is anticipated to complete construction in 2025.

In June 2022, the Hunts Point Forward plan was released to create economic opportunity and improve quality of life for New Yorkers in the Hunts Point neighborhood of the South Bronx. The plan outlines a 15-year vision shared by the city and the community with more than 70 short- and long-term recommendations for creating family-sustaining jobs, improving public safety, enhancing community health and access to healthy food, promoting environmental justice, and delivering upgrades to open space, transportation, and other key community infrastructure.

Responses to the RFP are due by 11:59pm ET on Thursday, November 21st, 2024. Visit the NYCEDC RFP webpage for more information. An optional information session will be held on Tuesday, August 6th 11:00 AM ET and an onsite tour on Thursday, August 22nd 11:00 AM ET.

Click here for more information about the RFP.

About NYCEDC
New York City Economic Development Corporation is a mission-driven, nonprofit organization that works for a vibrant, inclusive, and globally competitive economy for all New Yorkers. We take a comprehensive approach, through four main strategies: strengthen confidence in NYC as a great place to do business; grow innovative sectors with a focus on equity; build neighborhoods as places to live, learn, work, and play; and deliver sustainable infrastructure for communities and the city's future economy. To learn more about what we do, visit us on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and Instagram.