Last spring, New York City’s Economic Development Corporation (EDC) announced a plan to take over Piers 7-12 of the Brooklyn Marine Terminal from the Port Authority of NY/NJ.
While the Port Authority controlled the Terminal for years, they didn’t properly care for it, leaving the property in desperate need of repairs. As a result, the container terminal has struggled and is losing money, forcing taxpayers to help keep it afloat.
This a unique opportunity to bring the Brooklyn Marine Terminal back to life, so that it meets the needs of the 21st century.
First, here’s some background:
To guide this process, EDC created the Brooklyn Marine Terminal (BMT) Task Force. The Task Force’s goal is to create a comprehensive master plan for this 122-acre site, centered around a modernized, world-class port and maritime facility.
This Task Force is made up of 28 elected officials, community leaders, business groups and maritime experts. It’s led by Congress Member Dan Goldman, the Task Force’s Chair, and by Council Member Alexa Aviles and myself, who serve as Vice-Chairs. You can find the full list of members here.
In order to bring more community voices to the table, 60 community groups were also invited to join Advisory Groups with different focus areas:
Community Development & Housing
Maritime, Industrial, Local Business, Workforce
BMT Tenants
Waterfront, Environmental Justice, Resilience
Transportation, Mobility & Open Space
NYCHA/NYCHA Youth
This opportunity to rethink the Brooklyn Marine Terminal so that it truly serves our communities, city and region is an important one. From the start, I’ve been clear that my priority is transforming the port and making it a truly modern container terminal, and that this space can help make the City’s “Blue Highway” plans a reality.
That process also offers the possibility of additional uses for the site. During public engagement workshops, community members have made clear that open space and more connections to the waterfront are top priorities. I’ve also heard that the Red Hook Cruise Terminal does not serve the community in its current form, and that we should support the Red Hook economy by better connecting passengers to local businesses, reimagine how passengers arrive and depart, and build infrastructure to support sustainable electric ships that don’t pollute our air.
Where are we in the process?
The Task Force has been meeting regularly since the fall to understand the needs of the port, study examples from other ports around the world, discuss community feedback, and sketch out other potential uses for the property. We have successfully delayed the final vote twice, now hoping to have a final plan by mid-June.
All material shared with the Task Force has been made public by Brooklyn Community Board 6, and can be found here.
This all seems pre-baked. How do we know we can trust this process?
The Task Force has final approval over the Master Plan. We’re working diligently towards a vision for this site that we can support and that we believe our constituents will as well. To make sure there is considerable local support for the plan, the approval of the Master Plan requires a two-thirds majority vote from the full Task Force. This process has been far from perfect, but the Task Force remains committed to ensuring that the voices of the community are lifted up and that answers are given to the many valud questions and concerns we all have.
This project will also require the creation of a state General Project Plan (GPP), which must be approved by the State’s Public Authorities Control Board in a unanimous vote. The New York State Senate has a representative on that board, which has blocked problematic deals in the past.
I’ve heard bad things about a GPP process — can you explain what it is?
“GPP” stands for General Project Plan, a process overseen by New York State’s Empire State Development. GPP’s are often used when a project has broader regional impacts, like this one.
Why are Piers 9a and 9b decommissioned?
After years of disinvestment by the Port Authority, Piers 9a and 9b became structurally unsound and were decommissioned in 2023. Other piers will also reach the end of their useful life without significant infrastructure improvements that cost tens of millions of dollars. It’s likely that, without investment, Piers 7 and 8 will no longer be safe to use by 2035.
What will a new port look like?
EDC is proposing to build a modern, 21st-century port that serves as a crucial hub for the city’s Blue Highway initiative, which removes truck traffic from our highways and local roads by moving cargo via water instead. This requires replacing the existing, obsolete finger piers (i.e., piers that jut out into the water) with a marginal pier that runs parallel to the shore. The new port would occupy between 60 acres of the 122-acre site.
How much is this going to cost, and where is the money coming from?
Based on the planning team’s estimates, the cost to build this new modern port will be approximately $1.2 - $1.5 billion. Last year, New York City received a federal grant of $164 million, which the City must match with its own $109 million investment. The City is also investing an additional $80 million to purchase new cranes for the existing port operation, and New York State has committed $15 million to help with on-site cold storage.
That still leaves a gap of $835 million - $1.1 billion to fund the remaining construction costs. To help close this gap, the City is proposing to build housing along portions of the property, mostly abutting Columbia Street.
Where would housing be located?
Right now, EDC has proposed scenarios that include housing along the Columbia Waterfront neighborhood, Atlantic Basin in Red Hook and, in some cases, at the UPS site in Red Hook.
I have concerns about that number of units, as well as the limited amount that are slated to be affordable. I’m also concerned about the potential traffic implications of building so much housing in a small area adjacent to the BQE, which already causes significant congestion in the neighborhood. Our city is in a housing crisis and every community should be taken into consideration, but luxury condos alone will not bring us out of that crisis. I look forward to reviewing alternative scenarios that take into consideration our community needs, and to find ways to deepen the affordability for the rental units.
Is the UPS Site in Red Hook going to be included?
EDC is still negotiating with UPS to acquire the property, and it’s still unclear whether there is enough support for that within the Task Force. If it was to be included, it would be “BMT South” on the map above.
Why isn’t the Port Authority paying for all this?
Unfortunately, the agreement between the City, State, and Port Authority that led to this transaction relieves the Port Authority of any responsibility for its decades-long divestment in the property. This agreement predated the creation of the task force and our involvement in this process. New York State put in $15 million for capital improvements and for cold storage at the onset of the process. I’m pushing for additional state support to help fund this project, especially since the port is an asset to the entire region.
What about neighboring communities — are they going to get anything out of the process?
The taskforce is only charged with creating a Master Plan for the 122 acres of the Brooklyn Marine Terminal site. But we know that the impacts of this plan will reverberate in nearby Red Hook, Carroll Gardens, Columbia Street Waterfront, and Cobble Hill. As with other major neighborhood development projects, I believe the City must make commitments to impacted communities that will address our needs and concerns.
The Red Hook Houses, for example, are among the oldest public housing stock in the city and need significant investment. Additionally, there is insufficient public transportation in these areas, and any significant development would require collaboration with the MTA to increase service and improve route design. I’ll be working with my fellow Task Force members and other community stakeholders to identify additional needs and to seek commitments from the City and State to address them.
