Task force votes to pass $3.5B plan to transform Brooklyn Marine Terminal
The terminal will be turned into a modern maritime port that will create a new and vibrant mixed-use community along the waterfront.
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The future of Brooklyn’s waterfront is taking a big step forward today. Officials have announced the passage of the historic $3.5 billion vision to transform Brooklyn Marine Terminal.
The terminal will be turned into a modern maritime port that city and state leaders say will create “a new and vibrant mixed-use community along the waterfront.”
A vote on the development in Red Hook had been delayed several times after heated debates and community pushback.
The proposal included:
A brand-new 60-acre modern port
28 acres of parks and open space
Up to 6,000 apartments, with 40% marked as affordable housing
Supporters say it’s a rare chance to reshape the waterfront for both industry and the community. But opponents argue the numbers don’t add up — and that the process hasn’t been transparent.
John Leyva, a longtime community member, said he’s been raising concerns since the beginning.
“This is disgraceful — five times we had them beat so they postpone to vote, and the minute they flip two because they’ve been making all these backroom deals — boom, let’s have a vote immediately,” Leyva said. “And you don’t go back to the public and tell them what’s different about this. We haven’t had a public meeting in like two months.”
State Sen. Andrew Gounardes, who serves as vice chair of the task force, pushed back on that criticism, saying the panel was designed to bring in many different voices.
“For each individual task force member, they were each picked because they represent either a specific constituency or stakeholder connected to the marine terminal, or an elected official that represents part of this area,” Gounardes said. “So every task force member comes to this process with their own priorities and their own stakeholders they answer to.”
The next step will be a full environmental review — a process that could take years before any construction begins.
