Last night, Brooklyn Borough President Antonio Reynoso engaged with the New York City Economic Development Corporation (NYCEDC) to discuss their proposed redevelopment of the Brooklyn Marine Terminal (BMT). The event included a presentation by NYCEDC, followed by a question-and-answer session moderated by Reynoso. This provided an opportunity for NYCEDC to address community concerns about the 122-acre waterfront complex project.
Reynoso’s questions were drawn from the BMT Task Force and six Advisory Groups. Held at Brooklyn Borough Hall and streamed live, over 80 public members attended. Reynoso emphasized the importance of modernizing Brooklyn’s last working waterfront with careful planning: “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.”
Questions raised covered several topics including task force vote scenarios, agency coordination on transportation and housing, governance structure, cost breakdowns, inclusion of alternative scenarios, and potential impacts on industrial zones.
In response to these queries, NYCEDC President & CEO Andrew Kimball expressed commitment to collaborating with the Task Force: “NYCEDC is committed to working with the Task Force on delivering a vision plan that ensures the working waterfront remains active…”
Background information highlights that in 2024, Mayor Adams and Governor Hochul announced a $95 million investment for transferring ownership of BMT from Port Authority to NYCEDC. A BMT Task Force was formed to guide redevelopment discussions. Despite delays in voting on final proposals initially set for April 11, 2025—now postponed until June 18—Reynoso has been supportive yet critical of certain aspects such as building market-rate apartments on parts of the site.
Borough President Reynoso advocates preserving industrial spaces crucial for providing jobs that support middle-class pathways: “This infrastructure is a public good – generations of New Yorkers relied on our manufacturing districts for well-paying, high-quality jobs…”
