After a series of delays, the task force overseeing the future of the Brooklyn Marine Terminal has voted to advance a $3.5 billion redevelopment plan. The proposal, which was approved in a 17-to-8 vote on Monday, aims to transform the 122-acre terminal stretching from Cobble Hill to Red Hook into a mixed-use site featuring housing, modernized piers, industrial space, and public amenities.
The current plan includes 6,000 apartments, with 40 percent designated as affordable housing. Approximately half of the site will be dedicated to updated maritime facilities, including a new marginal pier for smaller and mid-sized ships. The development also calls for 275,000 square feet of light industrial space, an up to 400-key hotel, and 28 acres of open space.
“Today, our city took a massive step towards the future. By approving this $3.5 billion vision plan, we will turn a crumbling marine terminal into a modern maritime port while creating thousands of affordable homes and tens of thousands of good-paying jobs,” said Mayor Eric Adams in a statement. “We’ll deliver the open space our city needs and keep New York at the front of the green economy.”
This vote allows planning for the terminal’s redevelopment to proceed to environmental review and further project planning stages. Previously, concerns over insufficient support had led to five postponements and multiple revisions of the proposal; initial plans called for up to 12,000 housing units before being reduced first to 7,700 and then to 6,000.
Some elected officials have expressed reservations about the impact on local industry. Council member Alexa Avilés—vice chair of the task force—and Brooklyn Borough President Antonio Reynoso questioned whether adding housing would diminish industrial capacity in New York City. In an editorial co-authored with Eddie Bautista for the Brooklyn Eagle, Avilés called the plan “half-baked,” expressing doubts about whether commitments made under the proposal would be honored.
Last week’s changes helped sway some previous opponents by increasing funding allocations for both housing and industrial space. The Economic Development Corporation (EDC), which leads the project, raised its commitment for off-site housing within Community Board 6 from $50 million to $75 million. Additionally, EDC added another 50,000 square feet of light industrial space—most slated for Pier 11—bringing that total to 275,000 square feet.
Other recent investments include $3 million earmarked for capital improvements at nearby public schools and $7 million directed toward upgrades at DiMattina Park, Van Voorhees Playground, Carroll Park and other local parks.
This fall EDC will seek proposals regarding various port configurations and additional maritime activities through a request for expressions of interest. An alternative larger port option will also be analyzed during environmental review.
Following last week’s negotiations that paved the way for Monday’s vote—including credit given by EDC officials to Council member Shahana Hanif and Borough President Reynoso—eight members ultimately voted against advancing the plan: Council member Avilés; Carly Baker-Rice; Eddie Bautista; Ben Fuller-Googins; Hank Guttman; Assembly members Marcela Mitaynes and Jo Anne Simon; and Jim Tampakis.
“We participated in the BMT Task Force in good faith, hoping that our engagement would shape a forward-thinking and equitable vision for our waterfront. Our goal from the beginning had been to get to a ‘yes,’ and we remained committed to that outcome,” those eight wrote in a joint statement after voting no. “Unfortunately, to-date, many of our concerns with the EDC’s proposal for the site have gone unaddressed.”
The city assumed control over Brooklyn Marine Terminal last year through a land swap with Port Authority of New York and New Jersey—which received Staten Island’s Howland Hook Marine Terminal as part of that exchange.
Andrew Kimball—head of EDC—noted during a June tour that deferred maintenance at Brooklyn Marine Terminal has accumulated costs totaling hundreds of millions of dollars. Two piers were condemned about one year ago; two others may collapse within eight to ten years if not addressed.
Currently handling about 60,000 containers annually—or roughly 1.5 percent of all containers entering New York Harbor—the terminal is also used for non-maritime storage purposes such as aggregate materials or junk vehicles.
Rather than replacing three aging long piers along the East River directly, planners propose filling gaps between them to create a marginal pier deeper into navigable waters so ships can dock sideways.
Pending state approval developers building residential sites will make payments in lieu of taxes—with those funds reinvested into terminal improvements rather than entering New York City’s general fund. Revenue from overall development plus additional grants are expected by EDC officials to help fund affordable housing components alongside pledged investments totaling $200 million in public housing complexes Red Hook Houses East/West.
Once approved by state authorities—a development corporation appointed by state/local leaders will determine how best to select developers responsible for residential portions of the project with input favoring involvement from multiple parties rather than single-developer approaches seen elsewhere such as Pacific Park.
