Manhattan’s Meatpacking District will soon be meatless. J.T. Jobbagy, Inc., one of the last meatpackers in the historic neighborhood, is moving out, company owner John Jobbagy announced last month.
A Changing Neighborhood
Jobbagy and six other tenants in the Gansevoort Market co-op on Little West 12th Street have agreed to end their leases early to make way for a new housing development on the NYC-owned property. The company owner said, "It’s been a long time coming. The transformations have been taking place for the last 20 years. We’re well aware there are far better uses for this property than an aging meat warehouse. I’m not really sad at all."
A Legacy of Meatpacking
Jobbagy’s family has been in the Meatpacking District for over 125 years. It started when his grandfather, a Hungarian immigrant from Budapest, began working for Swift and Co., a major meatpacking company in the early 1900s. In 1925, he opened his own meatpacking business in the district, eventually merging with a competitor in the area.
The Decline of Meatpacking
Jobbagy, who is now 68 years old, started working alongside his family at the company as a teenager before opening his own business in 1981. When asked about the decline of the meatpacking industry in NYC, he explained, "They started to pack the meat in vacuum packs and boxes, and started to ship it to city supermarkets. In the beginning, it was small. It didn’t take on. But over time, it picked up. These big packers with their own packing plants, little by little, started putting the local companies out of business."
A New Era for the Meatpacking District
Though the meatpacking industry in NYC is all but gone, remnants of its past remain. The High Line, an elevated train line that once carried meat carcasses for processing, is now a public park. Most of the metal awnings that give the Meatpacking District its distinct look were never taken down, except today, they jut out from trendy boutiques and bistros instead of grimy packing plants.
An ‘Incredible Opportunity’ for NYC: NYC EDC
The mutual agreement will open up 66,000 square feet of space, which the city plans to use for the housing plan. It also provides an opportunity to expand two neighboring cultural attractions: the High Line and the Whitney Museum of American Art. "This is an incredible opportunity to not only deliver needed housing for New Yorkers, but create a vibrant 24/7 live, work, play, and learn community right in the heart of one of New York’s most iconic neighborhoods," said Andrew Kimball, NYCEDC president and CEO.
Conclusion
As the last meatpacker in the Meatpacking District, Jobbagy is ready to move on to new ventures. "I don’t want to be making ground beef at 4:30 in the morning the rest of my life," he said. "Maybe drinking pina coladas might be more fun."
FAQs
Q: Why is J.T. Jobbagy, Inc. moving out of the Meatpacking District?
A: The company has agreed to end its leases early to make way for a new housing development on the NYC-owned property.
Q: How long has J.T. Jobbagy, Inc. been in the Meatpacking District?
A: The company’s family has been in the district for over 125 years.
Q: What will happen to the property where J.T. Jobbagy, Inc. is located?
A: The city plans to use the property for a new housing development and cultural center.
Q: Will the High Line and the Whitney Museum of American Art be affected by the development?
A: Yes, the development will provide an opportunity to expand these two neighboring cultural attractions.
