The grand opening of a new shopping plaza signifies a turn in the right direction for development in the Bronx.
On Wednesday, July 13, Triangle Equities, along with elected officials, business partners and local merchants, gathered for the grand opening and ribbon-cutting ceremony of the Triangle Plaza Hub, a $35 million multi-use complex located at 459 E. 149th Street, right in the center of ‘The Hub’.
The Triangle Plaza Hub, an 88,000 square-foot community-centric development, will house Fine Fare Supermarket, Brightpoint Health, DaVita Dialysis Center, Vistasite Eye Care, Boston Market and Dunkin Donuts, along with a 6,000 square foot plaza for the public’s enjoyment.
Last, but certainly not least, the plaza will be home to the Metropolitan College of New York’s Bronx campus, where classes will begin in September.
The campus, located at 463 E. 149th Street, will serve over 500 students and will feature 17 classrooms, three computer labs and a multipurpose conference space, allowing the college to host large events.
“The opening of MCNY Bronx demonstrates our long-term commitment to the south Bronx community and its renaissance,” said MCNY president Dr. Vinton Thompson.
The 2-story building has 83 rooftop parking spaces.
Currently, one ground floor of retail space totaling 3,900 square feet and one 3,000 square-foot pad site adjacent to the public plaza are available and present prime opportunities for potential tenants.
In total, this project generated 151 construction-related jobs and 191 permanent jobs.
In addition, Triangle Equities has worked with the HireNYC program to develop a targeted local hiring and workforce development plan to fill these newly created employment opportunities.
“I am very proud of this beautiful facility – for the fact that it has created economic opportunities, educational and social services and provided this area with a much needed supermarket – an area that has been a food desert for years,” said Borough President Ruben Diaz, Jr.
“This is a very exciting project – one that will provide countless opportunities for the area,” said Marlene Cintron, president of the Bronx Overall Economic Development Corporation.
“Development like this one continues to revitalize this area,” said Councilman Rafael Salamanca, who remembers the property back when it was a vacant lot.
“The completion and grand opening of Triangle Plaza Hub is a great source of pride for us,” said Lester Petracca, president of Triangle Equities, the lead developer on the project.
“We’re delighted with the mix of tenants we have at Triangle Plaza Hub and even more so now that their services and amenities are available to this south Bronx community, and while this was an exceptionally challenging project to build, as is the case with the majority of our developments, reaching this milestone and providing tangible value to a community is what truly matters to us,” Petracca added.
Partners of the new project include the NYC Economic Development Corporation, Goldman Sachs Urban Investment and Low Income Investment Fund.
