Brooklyn Marine Terminal Development Corporation Will Help
Bring $3.5 Billion Brooklyn Marine Terminal Vision Plan to Life
Board Will Ensure Transparency, Accountability, and Continued Engagement With Stakeholders
New York City Mayor Eric Adams today announced seven mayoral appointees to the Brooklyn Marine Terminal Development Corporation (BMTDC) Board. The BMTDC will help create a modern maritime port and vibrant, mixed-use community at the Brooklyn Marine Terminal (BMT) and implement the BMT Vision Plan for the site, which the Brooklyn Marine Terminal Task Force voted to advance by a two-thirds majority in September. The 23-person BMTDC Board — which was a key part of the Vision Plan — will consist of appointments from the New York City Mayor’s Office, New York State Governor’s Office, local elected officials, Brooklyn Community Board 6, and New York City agency commissioners serving in an ex-officio role. The seven mayoral appointees announced today are Karen Blondel, Michelle de la Uz, Thomas McMahon, Regina Myer, John Nardi, Tokumbo Shobowale, and Jesse Solomon. With today’s announcement, Mayor Adams fulfills a key commitment outlined in the Vision Plan to stand up the BMTDC and appoint initial board members before the end of the year.
“Our administration not only helped craft an ambitious plan for the future of the Brooklyn waterfront but promised to set it in motion by the end of this year. With these appointments, we are keeping our word and taking the next step toward bringing thousands of homes, tens of thousands of jobs, and a new maritime port to the Red Hook community,” said Mayor Adams. “These appointments will serve as responsible stewards of the Brooklyn Marine Terminal and work alongside the community and elected officials to bring our bold vision for the area to life.”
“The Brooklyn Marine Terminal Development Corporation will ensure strong governance of the Brooklyn Marine Terminal project and I want to personally thank all of the board members for their time and dedication to this project,” said Deputy Mayor for Housing, Economic Development, and Workforce Adolfo Carrion Jr. “I look forward to the delivery of an all-electric port, that represents a modernized vision for the city’s working waterfront, alongside thousands of units of affordable housing and acres of public open space.”
“I’m excited for the formation of the BMTDC and to see many amazing leaders announced today,” said Brooklyn Borough President Antonio Reynoso. “I look forward to advancing a working waterfront and championing a port-first plan for the BMT.”
The BMT Vision Plan — which is backed by $418 million in city, state, and federal investments — will transform the dilapidated marine terminal into a 60-acre, all-electric maritime port that can serve as a key economic driver for the area. Additionally, the approved plan will create 6,000 new homes — including over 2,400 permanently-affordable units — as well as at least 28 acres of public space, 275,000 square feet of commercial space, 250,000 square feet of community facility space, and 275,000 square feet of light-industrial and industrial space at discounted rents. The plan, which covers a total of 122 acres, will also deliver vital resiliency and infrastructure upgrades for the area while generating an estimated $18 billion in economic impact, 37,000 temporary construction jobs, and 2,000 permanent jobs.
The BMTDC Board will oversee the implementation of the Vision Plan. Additionally, BMTDC will help enforce transparency, accountability, and the delivery of community commitments throughout the BMT redevelopment — including the creation of mixed-use spaces that enhance neighboring communities, respond to the housing crisis, improve mobility and transit accessibility, and develop new open spaces and opportunities for community gatherings. Appointed board members will serve at the will of their appointing party.
Recently, BMTDC held an organizational meeting — led by an interim board of directors, soon to be replaced by a full slate of appointed members — to take initial organizational and procedural actions to stand up the new entity. Prior to approval of the state-run General Project Plan (GPP), BMTDC’s initial activities will also include the establishment of by-laws and governance procedures; the naming of interim leadership, including an executive director (ex-officio officer of NYCEDC); and development of a process for implementing the Points of Agreement after GPP approval. Additionally, all BMTDC meetings shall be subject to Open Meetings Law, and BMTDC will comply with all applicable reporting requirements, including those pursuant to the Public Authorities Accountability Act of 2005.
The appointees of the mayor are:
- Karen Blondel, president, Red Hook Houses West Tenants Association
- Michelle de la Uz, executive director, Fifth Avenue Committee
- Thomas McMahon
- Regina Myer, president, Downtown Brooklyn Partnership
- John Nardi, president, Shipping Association of New York and New Jersey
- Tokumbo Shobowale, senior vice president, Chief Financial Officer & Treasurer, Fordham University
- Jesse Solomon, executive director, Southwest Brooklyn Industrial Development Corporation
The New York City government ex-officio appointees are:
- New York City First Deputy Mayor Randy Mastro (chair)
- New York City Department of Transportation Commissioner Ydanis Rodriguez
- New York City Department of Housing and Preservation Acting Commissioner Ahmed Tigani
- New York City Mayor’s Office of Management and Budget Director Jacques Jiha
- New York City Economic and Development Corporation President & CEO Andrew Kimball
The Vision Plan will inform the final project plan for the site through the state-run GPP. Currently, the project is undergoing the environmental review process, and, recently, the public comment period was extended to March 2026.
Today’s announcement of the BMTDC Board is also a major step forward in the effort to build the “Harbor of the Future” — a reimagined network of innovation and growth across New York City’s waterways. In addition to a modern maritime port and vibrant mixed-use community hub at BMT, the Harbor of the Future includes emerging innovation centers such as the Hunts Point Produce Market in the Bronx; the climate innovation hub “BATWorks” at the Brooklyn Army Terminal in Sunset Park; the country’s largest offshore wind port at the South Brooklyn Marine Terminal; the Science Park and Research Campus in Kips Bay in Manhattan; new sustainable housing and public space on the North Shore of Staten Island; and an anchor research and educational partnership with the New York Climate Exchange on Governors Island.
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