The public engagement process to create a vision plan for the 122-acre Brooklyn Marine Terminal has been extended through March 2025, giving local residents and stakeholders further opportunities to share their input on the ambitious reimagining. The project is now offering in-person bus tours of the BMT site, where members of the public are introduced to the facility as it currently stands. Sign up here for upcoming tours on November 7, 8 & 14, from 9–11am. Children are not allowed on tours.
The New York Times has called the waterfront site “a developer’s dream,” saying that the project could be “one of the largest developments in modern history,” with the possibility of high-rise apartments with spectacular views, shops, and offices, alongside an upgraded maritime port. However, the redevelopment project will also face challenges include climate change, limited public transit to the area, and opposition from local residents. Read more here.
In September, the project received a $164 million federal grant, and a 25-member task force was announced. There have also been two public workshops, and more feedback sessions will be offered at the Red Hook Art Project on Mondays and Wednesdays in November. You can sign up here for sessions on November 4, 13, and 18, from 6–8pm.
Site tours of the Brooklyn Marine Terminal by bus are free an open to all—they allow the public to see the site first hand, learn about its current operations, and ask questions.
Tours are guided by officials from both the New York City Economic Development Corporation (NYCEDC) and the urban design firm WXY Studios. They provides a rare, up-close look at the waterfront piers and the daily operations of the Brooklyn Marine Terminal.
Several priorities for the site have emerged from public input: increased access to the Brooklyn waterfront, the creation of new green space, and the reduction of truck traffic on roads by using NYC’s waterways to transport goods, keeping maritime activities at the heart of the site. The vision plan will almost certainly include a fair amount of public access, from green space to community and cultural amenities.
The project team is also working in close coordination with city agencies, especially the Department of Transportation, which just unveiled new proposals for the nearby BQE. After a vision plan is approved by the task force, a project plan will be drafted, and the public will once again be invited to provide feedback. Construction could start as early as 2026 or 2027.
Updated: November 5, 2024.
