Mamdani Administration Reconsiders Site for FiDi Amazon Hub
After Community Board 1 (CB1) pushed back in January on a proposal by the City’s Department of Transportation to create a “microhub” – an open-air delivery center, where Amazon trucks offload cargo to couriers pushing carts or riding bikes – in the South Street Seaport neighborhood, that agency modified its plans, moving the facility to a nearby location.
The original plan called for the microhub to be situated on South Street, between Fulton and John Streets, but local stakeholders – including the Fulton Stall Market and the Seaport Entertainment Group – strongly disagreed with that location, saying it would impact business and cause further congestion on an already busy stretch of sidewalk. CB1 urged DOT representatives to consider nearby sites. Board chair Tammy Meltzer said, “we looked at locations that were far quieter and wider,” offering as an example the inactive construction site at 161 Maiden Lane (near the corner of South Street).
In February, DOT Manhattan Borough Commissioner Danielle Zuckerman wrote to CB1. “Per Community Board 1’s request,” she stated, the agency “surveyed the surrounding area and has identified a new site for the microhub on Front Street at Maiden Lane, adjacent to the existing Citi Bike station. This site is currently an underutilized Taxi Stand with ample unobstructed curb space for a microhub. We expect to install the microhub in late spring 2026, and will post informational flyers in advance of installation.”
CB1 members were still not satisfied. At the March 4 meeting of the Transportation Committee, member Eric Flores questioned, “I don’t know why we’re advocating for our public space to be utilized exclusively by a vendor. It doesn’t matter that they’re paying for it. Why are we bringing a warehousing operation and trans-loading into a public space?”
DOT representative Catherine Ponte responded, “the goal of this program is to reduce the truck traffic and emissions on City streets. The public good, from our perspective, is reducing that congestion and lowering emission. We recognize that there’s a huge increase in people ordering things online and that’s negatively impacting the streets. Companies are renting their own warehouses to do that, but we also know that companies are using sidewalks, they’re doing it in the middle of roadways and obstructing traffic. This is an attempt to meet that need.”
Mr. Flores pushed back, saying, “but this shouldn’t even be offered. Why are we allowing a company to have access to our public space? They can get their own warehouse – especially if it’s Amazon. Why are we letting them use our public space for whatever nominal fee, and basically bringing the warehousing outside?”
He continued, “Amazon is taking advantage of our public space, using all types of excuses, like reducing their carbon footprint, so that they can use our public space for their own use only. And they have enough money to get their own space. We should not be using our public space to support their operation.”
CB1 chair Tammy Meltzer raised the issue of what Amazon will pay for the 80 feet of curb-side space that the DOT plans to set aside for the microhub. “I just want everybody to be really clear Lower Manhattan now has the most expensive parking in all of the City. It is $5.50 for the first hour, more for the second hour, and even more than that for commercial vehicles. The value of one parking spot for a commercial vehicle for a full year is almost $86,000.”
Pointing out that Amazon will have use of the space not just for loading packages, but also for parking, she asked Ms. Ponte how much Amazon will pay for this space. The answer: “$2,000 for the year.”