THE BRONX — Opening an Apple Store in the borough would be a genius move, according to a group of local politicians.
A total of 26 Bronx politicians from the federal, state and city levels of government signed a letter to Apple CEO Tim Cook calling on his company to open one of its retail stores in the borough, noting that while the tech giant currently has 10 stores in the city, none of them are in The Bronx.
Brooklyn, Staten Island and Queens all have one Apple Store apiece, while Manhattan has seven, according to the company's store locator.
This leaves The Bronx as the only borough without an Apple Store, and the letter states that opening one in The Bronx would complete the company's footprint in New York City and bring it up to speed with the massive wave of development that has taken place in the borough over the past few years.
It suggests The Mall at Bay Plaza, The Hub/3rd Avenue, Fordham Road and Kingsbridge/Broadway as good locations for the store and argues that a company as recognizable as Apple establishing a presence in The Bronx would go a long way towards rebranding the borough.
"We have seen incredible, transformative development in The Bronx since 2009. Numerous companies that may have looked us over in the past are now clamoring to do business here," Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr. said.
"Tens of thousands of Bronx residents are already Apple customers, so a new Apple Store right here in The Bronx would be a perfect fit for this borough," he continued.
The letter writers included Diaz, and Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie wrote a letter of his own to Cook stating that the borough is transforming into an economic powerhouse.
"A Bronx location would undoubtedly prove to be beneficial for both Apple and one and a half million eager consumers here in The Bronx," he said in a statement.
Apple declined to comment on the letter.