VIDEO: New York unveils plans to transform Brooklyn Marine Terminal

New York City Mayor Eric Adams says plans for Brooklyn Marine Terminal are part of his Harbor of the Future vision.

New York City Mayor Eric Adams, New York Gov. Kathy Hochul, and the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey have announced an agreement that aims to enable the city to transform the Brooklyn Marine Terminal into a modern maritime port and a vibrant mixed-use community hub. It will also allow the Port Authority to pursue long-term expansion of the Howland Hook Marine Terminal on Staten Island.

BROOKLYN MARINE TERMINAL TRANSFORMATION

As part of the effort, the city will assume control of the entire marine terminal in Brooklyn, encompassing 122 acres of waterfront in Red Hook and the Columbia Street Waterfront District, including the existing Brooklyn Cruise Terminal. The city wil also an initial $80 million investment in the Brooklyn Marine Terminal to stabilize and repair Piers 7, 8, and 10, and to fund planning for the 122-acre waterfront’s future, including an up to $15 million investment to fund a new modern, electrified container crane for operations at the terminal.

By mid-June, NYCEDC (New York City Economic Development Corporation) will assume responsibility for management and operations of Brooklyn Marine Terminal, while supporting existing tenants, including assuming the recent five-year extension of Red Hook Container Terminal’s operating agreement.

Governor Hochul also announced a $15 million commitment for a future cold storage facility on-site at the terminal. The lack of cold storage in Red Hook has contributed to traffic, pollution, and other quality-of-life concerns as perishable merchandise is transported in and out of Brooklyn.

Additionally, the city has submitted grant applications for over $350 million in federal funds from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Department of Transportation that prioritize replacing the defunct Piers 9a and 9b with a new marginal pier for greater capacity to handle international containers and micro-freight, and traffic improvements to improve traffic flow around the Brooklyn Cruise Terminal and in the Red Hook community.

Over the past decades, as part of the city’s lease and operation of the Brooklyn Cruise Terminal, NYCEDC has invested over $162 million into Piers 11 and 12.

HOWLAND HOOK

The city will amend its lease of a 225-acre portion of Staten Island’s Howland Hook Marine Terminal to the Port Authority, which currently leases Howland Hook from the city, to give Port Authority operational control of the site. This will bring the entirety of Howland Hook under Port Authority control, supporting its ability to drive future expansions.

Howland Hook is one of the key container terminals in New York Harbor, and it recently attracted its largest-ever private investment. As part of an amended lease agreement announced in September 2023, Howland Hook’s new operator — CMA CGM — has committed to a $200 million investment in the terminal. Additionally, CMA CGM has committed to boosting the facility’s capacity by 50% over the next seven years, allowing it to handle up to 750,000 container lifts each year.

The capacity enhancements will enable Howland Hook to remain competitive with cargo demand forecasted to surge in the coming decades, keeping goods flowing.

The Adams administration’s broader strategy to develop the Harbor of the Future, a reimagined, East River-connected network of innovation and growth, includes emerging innovation centers at the Hunts Point Produce Market, Governors Island, the Brooklyn Navy Yard , the Science Park and Research Campus in Kips Bay, and the North Shore of Staten Island.

OFFSHORE WIND PORT

The Adams administration is additionally transforming the city-owned South Brooklyn Marine Terminal (SBMT) into one of the largest offshore wind port facilities in the nation. In March 2022, NYCEDC and its subtenant, SSBMT, completed a long-term agreement with Equinor to reactivate the terminal as an offshore wind staging and assembly port.

HARBOR OF THE FUTURE

The Adams administration’s broader strategy to develop the Harbor of the Future, a reimagined, East River-connected network of innovation and growth, includes emerging innovation centers at the Hunts Point Produce Market, Governors Island, the Brooklyn Navy Yard , the Science Park and Research Campus in Kips Bay, and the North Shore of Staten Island.

“For 20 years, skeptics thought this deal couldn’t get done, but our administration prioritized the ‘Harbor of the Future’ and now we have the potential to create thousands of new jobs, generate billions in economic impact, and build a vibrant mixed-use neighborhood and modern maritime port focused on getting trucks off the roads,” said Mayor Adams. “By assuming control of the Brooklyn Marine Terminal in Red Hook in our city government’s largest real estate transaction in recent memory, our administration is demonstrating that we will continue to deliver big wins for New Yorkers, day after day. The potential for this area is limitless, and we’re excited to work with the local community, our fellow elected officials, and key stakeholders to come up with a plan for these over 120 acres that works for Red Hook, for Brooklyn, and for our entire city.”