Brooklyn Marine Terminal

The BMT Vision Plan charts a new future for the site and includes modern maritime infrastructure; the delivery of jobs, new housing, and light-industrial and commercial space; infrastructure improvements; new public open space; and waterfront access and resiliency measures that protect against climate change and sea-level rise.

Vision Plan Goals

The Vision plan reflects a set of goals established at the outset of the BMT Vision planning process—goals which were refined to reflect community priorities and feedback:

1. Maintain, modernize, and electrify the port to respond to industry trends, be financially sustainable, and support the Blue Highways initiative
2. Provide a range of open space throughout the site
3. Improve resiliency to prepare the site and adjoining neighborhoods for sea-level rise and climate change
4. Ensure the Atlantic Basin area includes active uses such as a hotel, retail, and light industry that benefit the community
5. Ensure that housing on the site is at a range of affordability levels and densities
6. Improve the site’s transportation network to help address vehicle congestion and improve bus speeds
7. Ensure that the project is financially viable and that the port is well capitalized

A Community-Driven Vision

To lead the engagement process, the City assembled a Brooklyn Marine Terminal Taskforce—chaired by US Representative Dan Goldman, with New York State Senator Andrew Gounardes and New York City Councilmember Alexa Aviles serving as vice chairs. The process engaged a wide range of stakeholders over the course of a year—including local elected officials, unions, waterfront stakeholders, Brooklyn businesses, workforce development, the adjacent community, and the maritime industry. NYCEDC engaged renowned community engagement and urban design firm WXY to support this work.

New + Continuing Investment

In May 2024, Mayor Adams, along with Governor Hochul, NYCEDC, and the Port Authority announced an agreement to enable the City to transform the Brooklyn Marine Terminal. As part of the effort, the City assumed operational control of the entire marine terminal from the Port Authority, encompassing 100+ acres of waterfront in Red Hook and the Columbia Street Waterfront District, including the existing Brooklyn Cruise Terminal.

The City initially committed $80 million to invest in the Brooklyn Marine Terminal to stabilize and repair Piers 7, 8, and 10, and to fund planning for the 100+ acre waterfront's future; along with an additional investment up to $15 million to fund a new container crane for operations at the terminal.

NYCEDC also assumed responsibility for operations and maintenance of Piers 7-12, while supporting existing tenants. Over the past two 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. NYCEDC also assumed the recent five-year extension of Red Hook Container Terminal’s operating agreement.

The Harbor of the Future

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