Several Construction Projects Underway On East Side Of Bronx

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The Bronx is booming, with businesses, housing and other development popping up all over, and right now, a lot of that construction is concentrated on the east side of the borough. NY1's Erin Clarke filed the following report.

Drive around the eastern Bronx and you can't miss the construction: a behemoth of a building that will be the new police and fire 911 center, the borough's first indoor mall featuring Macy's, and more.

"I think that developers figured out that they've run out of space in some of the other boroughs," said Marlene Cintron, president of the Bronx Overall Economic Development Corporation. "So the last borough that has some available land, there's not a lot left, definitely at really good price points."

Bronx-based Simone Development built the 42-acre Hutchinson Metro Center, home to hospitals, the Visiting Nurses of New York, Mercy College and other institutions and businesses.

Now, Simone is building an ambulatory surgery center for Montefiore Medical Center and more there.

"The Hutchinson Atrium, and it is going to house our new Marriott Hotel Residence Inn. 125 rooms," said Joe Kelleher, president of Hutchinson Metro Center. "In addition to that, we have a 50,000-square-foot LA Fitness."

Farther south in Throgs Neck, Simone is constructing a Target Plaza, complete with a T.J. Maxx and Applebees.

So why the Bronx, and why now? Borough officials say it's simple: the Bronx has the space and the opportunity.

"In the area of retail, they have looked at the numbers," Cintron said. "JCPenney's in Co-Op City is the number one JCPenney's in the nation."

And with retailers anticipating plenty of people spending money, there will be a need for workers to construct and keep business going.

The Macy's alone promises to bring 2,000 construction jobs and 1,800 permanent ones to a county with the highest unemployment rate in the state.

"By bringing the development into this area, we're going to be able to really help the economic growth," Kelleher said.

These projects are all slated for completion within the next three years and could be complemented by more, like the potential for an outlet mall at the Whitestone Cinema site and a Morris Park Metro-North Station, proposed to be located across from the new Marriott. Officials say it's an exciting time for the borough.