A section of the Brooklyn waterfront along the Columbia Street Waterfront District and Red Hook will be redeveloped in the coming years, and the public is being asked to share their ideas for the reimagining of the Brooklyn Marine Terminal. The site will become a modern maritime port with mixed-use potential: ideas include housing and parks along the waterfront.
In May, Governor Hochul and Mayor Adams announced the city’s acquisition of the Brooklyn Marine Terminal and plans to revitalize it and transform it into a mixed-use community site as part of the larger vision to develop the “Harbor of the Future” in New York City.
This week, a public webinar was hosted by New York City Economic Development Corporation (NYCEDC) and the urban design firm WXY Studios to provide an overview of the project and to kick off community engagement as the future of the site is reimagined. (You can watch a recording the webinar here, and view the slide presentation here.)
No concrete timeline for the project has been determined, but communities have been invited to share input in a series of information sessions and workshops this fall and winter, and a new vision for the Brooklyn Marine Terminal will be presented in early 2025.
Brooklyn Marine Terminal spans 122 acres along the waterfront, which is about 44% larger than Brooklyn Bridge Park and half the size of the Brooklyn Navy Yard. The area is bordered by Red Hook, Carroll Gardens, the Columbia Street Waterfront District, and Brooklyn Heights. Currently, the site is mostly industrial—it handles a very small percentage of New York and New Jersey’s container traffic, and is also home to the Brooklyn Cruise Terminal and NYC Ferry’s Atlantic Basin stop. However, a portion of the site is not in use at all, due to disrepair.
Brooklyn Marine Terminal is comprised of Piers 7-12:
- Piers 7, 8, 9A & 9B are “finger piers” resembling those in Brooklyn Bridge Park. 9A & 9B are currently out of commission due to poor condition.
- Pier 10 is home to the Red Hook Container Terminal, which supports maritime shipping in NYC.
- Pier 11 is currently a vacant shed space, but it will be the future port for NYC Ferry.
- Pier 12 is the Brooklyn Cruise Terminal, where 4-5 cruise ships dock weekly.
Along with NYCEDC, WXY Studio, and other city agencies, the project is led by a task force headed by Congressman Daniel Goldman, Council Member Alexa Avilés, and State Senator Andrew Gounardes. After the public engagement process this fall and winter, including advisory group meetings and public workshops, the task force will vote to approve community recommendations and subsequently present a “vision document” for the Brooklyn Marine Terminal.
While maritime operations will remain at the core of the Brooklyn Marine Terminal, future possibilities for the site still remain open to the community’s feedback and input. The city’s goals include: building a clean and modern maritime port to grow industry and create jobs, creating a “Blue Highway” that uses NYC’s waterways to move goods and reduce truck emissions on roads, protecting against climate change, and building housing and waterfront parks.
Due to the scale and scope of the project, the NYCEDC is working in close coordination with other city agencies, including Department of Transportation with their redesign of the BQE north of the Brooklyn Marine Terminal.
Ways to share your ideas for the Brooklyn Marine Terminal:
- Fill out a community survey that will be posted on the NYCEDC website soon (sign up for project news on their site to be notified when survey is live).
- Participate in Brooklyn Marine Terminal Workshop #1 on Saturday, September 28, 12-3pm, at the Miccio Center, 110 W 9th Street in Red Hook, Brooklyn.
- Meet the planning team in person at Atlantic Antic on Sunday, September 29.
- Contact the team by email at [email protected].
Updated: August 30, 2024.
