By Patrick Donachie
A portion of land at John F. Kennedy International Airport will be the site of a distribution and manufacturing center for Bartlett Dairy and Food Service, the New York City Economic Development Corporation announced Tuesday.
The 56,000-square-foot facility will be built on one of the largest city-owned properties that is zoned for manufacturing, and the contract is the result of a process that began with a request for proposals in February 2015.
“The selection of Bartlett Dairy and Food Service will help preserve nearly 200 jobs, while creating 50 new full-time positions, providing more employment opportunities for New Yorkers of all backgrounds,” NYCEDC President Maria Torres-Springer said. “Additionally, Bartlett Dairy’s redevelopment of the JFK North Site into a manufacturing and distribution center will reinforce the city’s dairy supply, bridge the upstate and downstate food economy and revitalize the JFK Industrial Business Zone.”
Bartlett has agreed to meet the appropriate zoning criteria at the site and to meet the city’s requirements for living wage guarantees for employees. The company has also agreed that 30 percent of all contracts for design and construction at the site will be filled by business enterprises owned by women and/or minorities. Bartlett Dairy employs 75 percent of its workforce from Queens or Brooklyn, according to the EDC.
Bartlett Dairy operates three facilities in Jamaica, Newark, N.J. and Rochester, N.Y. and employs more than 400 people. Prominent clients include the city Department of Education and Starbucks. Construction will commence in fall 2018, with an expected completion date in fall 2020, according to the EDC.
Reach reporter Patrick Donachie by e-mail at pdona
