Brooklyn Marine Terminal Update
I’m grateful that the leadership of the Brooklyn Marine Terminal Taskforce has unanimously decided to postpone the vote on the Vision Plan originally scheduled for this past Thursday. Over the past week, I joined several of my colleagues in strongly urging this delay.
As I shared in our last newsletter, had the vote proceeded, I would have voted no. This delay creates space for the Task Force to meaningfully engage with impacted communities and establish a clear set of bottom lines that must be met in order to build consensus.
This plan has the potential to reshape our future, if done right. My focus remains on elevating the voices of local residents and securing critical improvements to the plan. In particular, I’m pushing for:
Robust transportation planning that expands public transit access for underserved communities and accounts for future population growth;
Stronger climate resiliency infrastructure to address flooding risks and long-standing environmental burdens;
A greater share of deeply affordable housing units, not just market-rate development;
Real displacement protections for rent-regulated tenants and small businesses; and
A firm commitment to preserving Brooklyn’s last large-scale industrial waterfront, including maritime and industrial job retention and growth.
If we get this right, we can deliver a “Harbor of the Future” that reflects community priorities, strengthens our economy, and makes our neighborhoods more affordable and resilient. I urge the Economic Development Corporation to take this feedback seriously and return with a revised proposal that Task Force members—and our communities—can support with confidence.
