Following a Presentation on the Proposal, Reynoso Moderated a Q&A Providing NYCEDC the Opportunity to Clarify Their BMT Redevelopment Plan and Address Community Concerns
Full List of Questions Answered by NYCEDC Available Below
***FULL RECORDING HERE & PHOTOS HERE***
BROOKLYN, NY (June 5, 2025) – Last night, Brooklyn Borough President Antonio Reynoso hosted a one-on-one with the New York City Economic Development Corporation (NYCEDC) to discuss their proposed redevelopment of the Brooklyn Marine Terminal (BMT). Following a presentation by NYCEDC on the proposal, Reynoso – who is a member of the BMT Task Force – asked a series of questions regarding their plans for the 122-acre waterfront complex and offered additional questions for NYCEDC to address in writing at a later date. Borough President Reynoso’s questions to NYCEDC were sourced from the BMT Task Force as well as members of the BMT’s six Advisory Groups. The one-on-one was held in person at Brooklyn Borough Hall and live streamed, with over 80 members of the public in attendance.
“The opportunity to bring Brooklyn’s last working waterfront into the 21st century is significant and deserves the highest level of care and due diligence. Community members, local leaders, and my fellow elected officials have closely engaged with NYCEDC’s redevelopment process from the get-go, but still many of us have questions and concerns that deserve to be thoroughly and transparently addressed,” said Brooklyn Borough President Antonio Reynoso. “I appreciate NYCEDC for coming to the People’s House to provide a clearer picture of what they have planned, and I thank the community members and local leaders who have come together to advocate for the BMT as an engine of industry and opportunity for our borough.”
The questions Borough President Reynoso asked NYCEDC include:
- Task Force Vote Scenarios
- If the taskforce cannot arrive at consensus, will EDC proceed with environmental review and next steps?
- How does the plan move forward in the event that there is only consensus on a portion of the plan, rather than the entirety of the proposal?
- Agency Coordination: Transportation & Housing
- Please explain the coordination among all other affected City and State agencies, specifically MTA, NYSDOT, NYCDOT, EDC Ferry Service, TLC, etc., as it relates to traffic studies, mitigation plans, and existing and interim conditions.
- Please explain the coordination among all other affected City and State agencies, specifically HPD, NYCHA, HCR, etc., as it relates to the feasibility of developing housing at BMT.
- Please explain coordination efforts around the larger BQE redesign.
- Developing and Implementing Points of Agreement
- How have other agencies participated in the collective development, agreement, buy-in, and enforcement of points of agreement commitments that affect their agency? How will these agreements be codified between agency partners and the public?
- Has EDC considered or established a performance-based means to deliver commitments to the community, including compensation for delays in public amenities, affordable housing, or other critical infrastructure within the buildout period of the plan?
- What means of enforcement will any future governing board have to see that commitments are upheld?
- Governance Structure
- What opportunities for ongoing engagement and communication will be established to ensure trust in EDC, implementation of project goals, and fulfilment of aspects identified in points of agreement and any additional mitigations identified during environmental review?
- How will membership of the governance structure be determined or appointed?
- Overall Cost Breakdown
- Throughout the process, EDC has underscored that the need for housing and hotels is required to pay for the investments needed for the maritime and port improvements. The introduction of new housing also raises the need to provide additional services and infrastructure including added environmental protections, open space, transportation and other infrastructure, and commercial uses to the area. Please provide a full breakdown of all project costs that identifies both their funding source(s) and their rationale. Why does this cost exist or what is it ultimately in service of?
- UPS Site
- There is disagreement about whether to include the UPS site and, if so, for what use(s). Please provide additional rationale for the inclusion of the UPS Site. Can you provide examples of private land being included in a previously authorized General Project Plan (GPP)?
- What additional project costs are incurred by including the UPS site?
- What investments and benefits are made possible by including the UPS site?
- Development and Evaluation of Alternative Scenarios
- Discussion among the broader community, the advisory groups, and the Task Force identified other potential alternatives including:
- Omitting the UPS site
- Consolidating all potential housing onto this site
- Removing all housing from Atlantic Basin
- A maritime and manufacturing only scenario
- Consideration of additional financial tools and assumptions
- Why were these scenarios not included for additional analysis for review by the Task Force nor flagged to be evaluated as alternatives under environmental review?
- How will any of the previously mentioned scenarios be further developed and analyzed, including throughout environmental review?
- Discussion among the broader community, the advisory groups, and the Task Force identified other potential alternatives including:
- Priorities and Considerations
- Please discuss the potential impacts to the Industrial Business Zone (IBZ) by allowing new housing and commercial uses.
- Would the boundaries of the Southwest Brooklyn IBZ be modified to reflect this policy guidance, including potentially designating additional land not currently included in the IBZ?
- What protections and/or requirements for industrial and manufacturing uses are included in the proposed plan?
- How will EDC provide for the future expansion of the Blue Highways program if land is constrained by new housing development at BMT?
“The redevelopment of the Brooklyn Marine Terminal represents a once-in-a-generation opportunity to reimagine our working waterfront for the 21st century,” said NYCEDC President & CEO Andrew Kimball. “NYCEDC is committed to working with the Task Force on delivering a vision plan that ensures the working waterfront remains active, create much needed housing, and delivers open space and resilient infrastructure for the community. We are grateful for the community’s engagement and look forward to continued collaboration as we shape a future that honors Brooklyn’s industrial legacy while embracing innovation.”
Background
In 2024, Mayor Adams and Governor Hochul announced that ownership of the BMT would change hands from the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey to NYCEDC, with the City and State making a joint $95 million initial investment. Soon after, NYCEDC assembled a BMT Task Force to provide input on the proposed redevelopment and ultimately vote on the final proposal. Chaired by Representatives Dan Goldman and Vice Chaired by Council Member Alexa Avilés and State Senator Andrew Gounardes, the Task Force is comprised of 28 elected officials (including Brooklyn Borough President Antonio Reynoso), as well as local leaders, community advocates, business representatives, and maritime experts. The Task Force was originally set to vote on the BMT redevelopment plan on April 11, 2025, however NYCEDC has since postponed the vote until June 18.
While Brooklyn Borough President Antonio Reynoso has been supportive of the redevelopment plan’s efforts to modernize BMT facilities, improve freight capacity, and better integrate the waterfront into the City’s Blue Highway network, he has called for greater transparency and improved public engagement throughout the redevelopment process. He has also been a vocal critic of NYCEDC’s intention of repurposing parts of the waterfront to build thousands of market rate apartments. Reynoso has stated, “This infrastructure is a public good – generations of New Yorkers relied on our manufacturing districts for well-paying, high-quality jobs that provide a path to the middle class.
We can’t afford to lose it.”
Generations of New Yorkers, especially those with limited educational opportunity and English language proficiency, have relied on New York City manufacturing districts for well-paying, quality jobs that provide a path to the middle class. Borough President Reynoso has long advocated for the preservation and enhancement of these shrinking industrial and manufacturing spaces, making it one of his major frameworks for his Comprehensive Plan for Brooklyn.