The operating agreement for the Red Hook Container Terminal expires next year, and so far, The Port Authority of New York & New Jersey has not indicated if the lease will be renewed.
On March 2, a group of 14 elected officials led by Brooklyn Borough President Eric Adams and Representatives Nydia Velazquez and Jerrold Nadler sent a letter to Governor Cuomo asking him to work with the Port Authority to extend the operating lease for the terminal for 10 more years. The political leaders are concerned about getting crucial capital investments made to keep the facility fully operational.
Most of those who signed the letter sent representatives to a Brooklyn working waterfront roundtable discussion–or were present themselves–hosted by Borough President Adams, the Waterfront Alliance, and the International Longshoremen’s Association on February 22.
“We need to maintain and expand the Red Hook Container Terminal. The overriding goal is to continue the work here and get a lease,” Congressman Nadler told the group, and then added, “The best defense is a good offense. Don’t just maintain; expand. We could have a lot more jobs by taking Pier 12 [now used by the Brooklyn Cruise Terminal] and restoring it to freight.”
Senior officials from the New York City Economic Development Corporation, Port Authority, Maritime Association of the Port of New York and New Jersey, Tug and Barge Committee, New York Shipping Association, Gowanus Bay Terminal, PortSide New York, and many other working waterfront stakeholders participated in the discussion.
“How do we continue to support a vibrant waterfront?” Borough President Adams asked the group. “The most important thing on my mind is jobs. We want to build a pipeline of education to career. We want our young people to see what’s exciting about working at the waterfront.”
Two years ago, Red Hook Container Terminal and the South Brooklyn Marine Terminal were designated part of America’s Marine Highway, a federal program that supports incorporating waterways around the country into the greater U.S. transportation system.
Elected officials and working waterfront advocates point to this designation as they emphasize that Red Hook Container Terminal is a vital part of the local and regional economy, processing more than 40,000 containers annually and providing 1,500 jobs. As noted in the letter to Governor Cuomo, the terminal is “poised to serve as a hub for cross-harbor freight movement, diverting roughly 55,000 truck trips per year that contribute to congestion, pollution, and the overall impact on quality of life.”
Borough President Adams’ office has not yet had a response from Albany.
