FreshDirect Inc.

So Rockrose had the groundbreaking for its second building, referred to as "Site 7," in Queens West this morning (construction had actually been underway since January) and the big news is that yes, there will be a supermarket at its base--the first in the neighborhood--to serve the 10,000 or so residents that will one day populate the 74-acre waterfront development. The brand has not been determined and, considering the 290-foot tower won't be finished until late next year, a signed lease is probably a long time off.

"People were so eager to have a supermarket that they opened a farmer's market," Queens Borough President Helen Marshall said of the hungry tenants in the two existing Queens West towers.

FreshDirect, we hardly knew ye.

-Matthew Schuerman

The latest in the neverending quest to disentangle you from messy human contact with your neighborhood and turn New York City into one giant swishy generic hotel: FreshDirect and the Brooklyn developer behind The Aurora in Williamsburg, the Echelon in Long Island City and 133 Water in DUMBO are installing giant common refrigerators in lobbies, so the doorman can collect your delivery and keep it fresh until you get back from your spinning class/cosemtini binge/12-hour work day.

Participating buildings are installing refrigerators and freezer units in common areas to receive FreshDirect deliveries and these buildings will enjoy a reserved early delivery timeslot which will eliminate the need for their residents to wait at home for their deliveries.

It's called the Preferred Building Program. When did apartment buildings start sounding so much like airlines?  read more »

Says FreshDirect president Steve Michaelson:

Our service receives praise from the ever-growing FreshDirect customer base for its ease-of-use, convenience, and high-quality food. By working with developers, we hope to make using FreshDirect even easier and keep our food fresher for our customers. Now, our customers don’t have to wait for the food - the food will wait for them.

The whole sordid tale, in press-release form but cunningly packaged as a ready-made "latest amenity" trend piece (look for it in tomorrow's editions of amNewYork!) after the jump.