Brooklyn Marine Terminal environmental testimony deadline extended

Cargo-handling cranes at the Container Terminal within the Brooklyn Marine Terminal site. Photo: Mary Frost, Brooklyn Eagle

RED HOOK — Waterfront residents, organizations and officials are applauding the news that the New York City Economic Development Corporation has extended the deadline to submit written testimony on the “Draft Scope of Work” for the Brooklyn Marine Terminal mega-development. Originally set for Dec. 11, 2025, the new deadline is March 31, 2026.

A DSOW is used to develop a project’s Environmental Impact Statement. Residents have been attending online seminars and nighttime cram sessions — like one in Carroll Gardens on Nov. 17 attended by 200 locals — on how to craft their testimony on the massive, $3.5 billion project within the original tight deadline.

Testimony centers around the 19 categories listed in the City Environmental Quality Review Manual, which include land use, socioeconomic conditions, air quality, hazardous materials, noise, shadows, neighborhood character and others.

“After hearing from the community and fellow Advisory Task Force Members, I requested more time for the environmental review because this step of the process is particularly important to get right,” state Sen. Andrew Gounardes told the Brooklyn Eagle on Friday. “We’re dotting our i’s and crossing our t’s here, and I want all of us to have enough time to review the many different parts of this proposal to make sure it’s as strong as it can be. Like I said after the Task Force vote, this is an ongoing community conversation, and I want to make sure everyone has a chance to be heard.”

The 122-acre Brooklyn Marine Terminal. Photo: NYCEDC

Gounardes, whose district encompasses the entire Western Brooklyn waterfront, was vice chair of the Brooklyn Marine Terminal Task Force with Councilmember Alexa Avilés; Rep. Dan Goldman was Task Force chair.

“Since the announcement of the very short EIS draft scoping period, many of us recognized that our community would need more time to participate meaningfully in this part of the process,” Avilés, whose district includes Red Hook, told the Eagle. “Alongside community members and leaders, I advocated for additional time. I’m glad that we were finally heard.”

“The community and elected officials had asked for more time to review the draft scope of work for the BMT plan, so I am really glad about this,” Assemblymember Jo Anne Simon wrote on Instagram, labeling the post “ BIG NEWS!” Simon’s district encompasses a large chunk of the project area, which includes the Columbia Street Waterfront District, Cobble Hill, Carroll Gardens and Red Hook.

Officials urged stakeholders to attend the in-person scoping hearing on Monday, Dec. 1, and then also submit more extensive written testimony. The hearing takes place at Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary & St. Stephen Roman Catholic Church from 6 to 9:30 p.m. RSVP online.

Residents of Cobble Hill, Carroll Gardens, the Columbia Street Waterfront District and Red Hook packed Sacred Hearts Church for a community forum on the Brooklyn Marine Terminal on Nov. 17, 2025. Photo: Mary Frost, Brooklyn Eagle

Residents: Huge development, rushed timeline

The final BMT Vision Plan, if approved as written, would transform the 122-acre maritime site stretching from Atlantic Avenue to Red Hook on the East River, bringing a smaller (half the size) but modernized port, public open space, and 6,000 new units of housing (40% affordable), with roughly 15,000-18,000 new residents.

Current residents say this is the equivalent of 30 30-story buildings, and note that a host of issues — from the area’s already-congested streets to the crumbling Brooklyn-Queens Expressway, lack of mass transit, inadequate sewage and other infrastructure, and nonexistent land-use analysis — were never addressed in the final BMT Vision Plan.

“We thank everyone who stood with us in calling for more time to engage with this complex, regionally significant project,” said Victoria Alexander, a member of the steering committee of the advisory group Voices of the Waterfront.

“With the scoping deadline now extended to March 31, we urge NYCEDC and the lead agency to hold in-person meetings in Red Hook, Carroll Gardens, Cobble Hill and the Columbia Waterfront. Every impacted community deserves the chance to be fully informed and heard,” Alexander added.

Schematic overview of the 122-acre Brooklyn Marine Terminal site. Diagram: NYCEDC

“Columbia Street Waterfront Association is extremely pleased that the city has granted the extension of the public comment period to March 31st, as community groups, including CSWA, and our electeds requested,” said CSWA board member Randy Gordon.

He added, “A project of the magnitude of Brooklyn Marine Terminal requires as thorough an environmental impact assessment as possible, and that hinges on the scope covering all community concerns. We are especially pleased that this extension will allow us to factor into our comments responses to the EDC’s Request for Expressions of Interest which asks for ideas on optimizing BMT for maritime industrial uses.”

In an email to Task Force members, EDC wrote, “This extension provides nearly five times the usual comment period, allowing the public ample time to submit written comments. We would like to thank state Senator Andrew Gounardes and Assemblymember Jo Anne Simon for their collaboration with the city and state for this additional time.”