Here's why neighbors are concerned about the Brooklyn Marine Terminal land transfer
NEW YORK — New York City's plan to redevelop Red Hook's waterfront is sparking debate.
Last spring, Mayor Eric Adams and Gov. Kathy Hochul announced that ownership of the historic Brooklyn Marine Terminal will be transferred from the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey to the New York City Economic Development Corporation.
Brooklyn residents were excited for "harbor of the future"
With that announcement came a promise to redevelop the 122-acre plot of land into a thriving maritime port focused on freight loads coming into the city.
Leaders say the land transfer of Brooklyn's last active cargo port would reduce truck traffic, and help create a "harbor of the future."
It was a promise residents like Nico Kean, of a group called Resilient Red Hook, say they were excited for. Neighbors pushed for more community engagement in the planning process.
"I greeted it with great hope," Kean said. "Wake up maritime, create a robust industry, and Blue Highway was a big part of that, which is bringing in containers instead of trucks for redistribution."
Late last year, however, NYC EDC unveiled a proposal to bring 7,000-9,000 mostly market-rate housing units to parts of the site as a way to pay for the port upgrades.
Kean recalls that's when residents became concerned.
"The last item on a task force meeting (with) EDC, it was presented 'We would like 7,000 to 9,000 market rate units,' which is Williamsburg to us," he said, saying it came as a total surprise and left the community blindsided.
Some argue public waterfront isn't right for luxury high rises
Jennifer Sun, Executive Vice President of Planning at NYC EDC, says the housing proposal was an estimate based on the $1.5 billion investment needed to upgrade the terminal.
"Even though the community, I think, had a strong reaction to the housing, we led with planning for the maritime needs of this campus, first and foremost," she said.
Stakeholders involved with the public engagement process say a public waterfront is not the right area for luxury high rises.
"Once we put in real estate and we give it away, we're never going to get it back. And this is such a valuable asset for everybody in the city," said Jim Tampakis, a marine equipment business owner whose family has been working in the neighborhood for decades.
Carly Baker-Rice from the Red Hook Business Alliance says the agency is using a fast-tracked urban planning process that would typically take years.
"We're talking about something the size of the Gowanus rezoning, which took over a decade, and they're trying to get it done in six months without any oversight or people paying attention to it, with a sham engagement process and using none of our city rezoning policies or processes," she said.
Others add that community ideas largely get ignored.
"I share every one of those frustrations," said Councilmember Alexa Aviles, who is on the task force. "Partnership doesn't look like shoving information down people's throats or creating a fact pattern for an outcome that you want to see."
Sun emphasizes that this is still a proposal, and there are more opportunities for input.
"Whenever there is a public site that we are planning for in the city, we always have to ask the question of whether there is a possibility of developing housing there, given the housing crisis in the city," she said.
The task force will vote on a plan in April. Neighbors say there's a lot at stake for a project they believe would change the fabric of their community.
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