Bartlett Dairy will develop a 54,000 square foot dairy distribution center on a significant portion of the JFK Airport’s North Site, between the Nassau Expressway and Rockaway Boulevard, near North Hangar Road in Queens, New York.

New York City Economic Development Corporation and Bartlett Dairy Incorporated received Uniform Land Use Review Procedure approval for the disposition and development of NYCEDC’s JFK North Site. Development of the new distribution facility on the JFK North site, which has an expected completion date of fall 2020, is expected to create 165 permanent jobs.

According to New York City Economic Development Corporation, the 7.3 acre site at Kennedy Airport is one of the largest city-owned manufacturing zoned properties. Bartlett’s development of the JFK North Site will provide a permanent home for milk distribution within the five boroughs. Currently, milk distribution occurs in New Jersey and the products are then delivered to New York City by truck.”

Bartlett has excelled at dairy and dry goods distribution since 1968. The Queens-based company employs approximately 500 people across three locations in Jamaica, Newark and Rochester and delivers dry and perishable goods to schools, hotels, grocery stores, and restaurants, among others. The new facility will be Bartlett’s New York headquarters.

“We are excited to be returning home to the birthplace of Bartlett Dairy,” said Thomas Malave Jr., President of Bartlett Dairy Inc. “We look forward to our continued growth in conjunction with the local community. To celebrate this moment, we are establishing a scholarship fund for local graduating high school students.”

“The closing of the Elmhurst Dairy plant in 2016 was a devastating loss for New York City,” said NYCEDC President & CEO James Patchett. “Bartlett's expansion is a win-win for New Yorkers and the city’s local economy. We are proud to have helped bring a dedicated milk distribution company back to the five boroughs and create new economic opportunities for more of our residents.”

“The return of Bartlett Dairy to Queens is bringing jobs back to the borough where so many workers call home," said Council Member Donovan Richards. "With additional opportunities for more jobs and apprenticeships along with the resurfacing of Rockaway Boulevard, stormwater mitigation and an expedited construction timeline for improvements to Baisley Pond Park, this development is an all-around win for Southeast Queens. I'd like to thank Bartlett Dairy, EDC and the entire de Blasio administration for their commitment to good jobs in the outer boroughs."

“Gateway JFK is happy to see Bartlett come into the community,” said Scott Grimm-Lyon, AICP, Executive Director of Gateway JFK. “We believe they will be a great contributor to the area and a beacon of development. They will help us show that our community is ripe for investment.”

Bartlett Dairy responded to NYCEDC’s Request for Expressions of Interest (RFEI) because of their need to relocate both their corporate office and distribution facility. The company was selected in 2016 because it was able to meet the City’s industrial manufacturing criteria, Living Wage and HireNYC requirements for employees, as well as a 25% MWBE contracting goal for design and construction.