The New York City Economic Development Corporation (NYCEDC) has postponed a vote on the final vision plan for the Brooklyn Marine Terminal (BMT) site as the community rallies for more time. The task force’s vote was originally scheduled for April 11, closing out a months-long public engagement period. The postponement comes as the surrounding neighborhoods voice their fierce opposition to proposals for the $3.1 billion redevelopment project. The vote will now take place in June, although no exact date has been set. Leading up to June, the NYCEDC plans to offer more public engagement and workshops; more information to come.
BMT task force members requested more time and clarity around issues of transportation, the resiliency of the site, housing options, and investment in the port infrastructure. The community voiced these same concerns at the NYCEDC’s final public workshop, where Red Hook and Columbia Street Waterfront residents turned out in droves to demand more time for the redevelopment process.
Public demonstrations have also been organized by a local group called Voices of the Waterfront, a coalition of community members and local organizations. At a recent rally, community members were joined by elected officials including Antonio Reynoso, Marcela Mitaynes, and Alexa Avilés to denounce the NYCEDC’s rushed timeline, prioritizing luxury housing developments over maritime operations, lack of transparency and concern for public feedback. Another protest is in the works for Thursday, April 10; check back here for an official date and time.
The BMT runs from Pier 7 at Atlantic Avenue to Pier 12 in Red Hook and is home to the Red Hook Container Terminal, NYC Ferry’s Atlantic Basin stop, and the Brooklyn Cruise Terminal. One scenario would convert 138 acres into 8,659 units of housing (with 2,165 affordable housing units, or 25%), 26 acres of open space, 35.3 acres of mixed-use and 60 acres of port. With new parks, including one at Pier 7, the redevelopment would also create a greenway along the waterfront from DUMBO to Red Hook. See the most recent presentation by the NYCEDC here.
Meanwhile, the NYCEDC has invested $18 million to begin demolition and initial repairs and to buy a brand new electric crane for the port. The demolition of 4 out-of-service cranes at Piers 9A and 10 is currently slated to begin in April and wrap up in August 2025.
*Editor’s Note: This story was updated on April 16 following the NYCEDC’s announcement that the vote on the BMT vision plan will be delayed until June 2025.
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Updated: April 16, 2025.
