The CNJ Bronx Terminal was dismantled in the early 1960s after the Central Railroad of New Jersey ceased operations and the property was sold to make space for new commercial use. Since then, a warehouse was built within the former Bronx Terminals’ former perimeter and various businesses made use of a location close to Manhattan but lower priced than had they been on the other side of the Harlem River. As of mid-September 2017, that warehouse has gone (photo 1) and with its disappearance, a new era begins for the parcel between Third Avenue Bridge, Bruckner Boulevard, Lincoln Avenue and Harlem River.
As prices for real estate and housing have continuously increased in Manhattan, pressure on the less gentrified neighborhoods in Harlem and the Bronx has increased, too. A rezoning plan from 2005 opened Mott Haven to mixed industrial and residential use. Since then, several redevelopment projects and initiatives have been presented to redevelop the Harlem River waterfront and improve the infrastructure of the area. The latest of these projects is beginning to take shape now. A developer and group of investors are planning a massive, multi-building development of 1,300 apartments on both sides of Third Avenue that includes the parcel of the former CNJ Bronx Terminal.
These developments are part of a wider shift in the use of real estate and proof of a still on-going deindustrialization of the South Bronx. The signs of a massive and irreversible transformation into a predominantly residential area are all over: New businesses are mushrooming and offer services for more affluent and cosmopolitan clientele (photo 2). Several developments a few blocks further north have already been completed or are complete (photo 3).
As it has happened before in other neighborhoods of New York City, like the East Village, Harlem, Brooklyn, or Williamsburg, gentrification will create losers and winners. And to the casual visitor of one of the most remarkable former New York City offline freight terminals, some comfort remains: thanks to New York City’s stringent landmark laws, some of the witnesses that saw the rise and fall of key industries in the South Bronx, such as the Clock Tower building on Lincoln Avenue and Bruckner Boulevard will stay around for a some time. And while the Mott Ironworks building north of the Third Avenue Bridge is not on the Landmarks Preservation Commission’s list, there is a good chance it will be integrated into the planned development.