Plan Would Establish Economic Mobility Network in Hunts Point to Connect New Yorkers to Jobs, Invest Over $28 Million to Expand Waterfront Access and Improve Greenway
Announcement Part of Adams Administration’s Efforts to Turn New York City’s Waterways into Harbor of the Future, Create Tens of Thousands of Jobs, Support Innovative Industries Across All Five Boroughs
New York City Mayor Eric Adams, New York City Economic Development Corporation (NYCEDC) President and CEO Andrew Kimball, and New York City Department of Correction (DOC) Commissioner Lynelle Maginley-Liddie today announced that the city will remove the decommissioned Vernon C. Bain Correctional Center (VCBC) barge from Hunts Point and pursue an innovative Hunts Point Marine Terminal on the site to move freight off of ships and onto the last mile in their delivery. After originally decommissioning the VCBC facility in 2023, the Adams administration announced today that NYCEDC will issue a request for proposals (RFP) to remove the former jail barge, freeing up valuable space on the Hunts Point waterfront. In its place, the Adams administration envisions a new Hunts Point Marine Terminal to move cargo from shipping containers onto additional barges and ferries for last-mile deliveries throughout New York City.
The new marine terminal — which is estimated to create 400 construction jobs, 100 permanent jobs, and $3.9 billion in economic impact over the next 30 years — would form a key connection point between ports up and down the East Coast, including the Brooklyn Marine Terminal and other nodes in New York City. By building this new ‘Blue Highways’ facility, the terminal would remove an estimated 9,000 monthly truck trips from city streets and reduce roadway congestion. Additionally, the Adams administration will invest more than $28 million as part of its Fiscal Year 2026 Executive Budget — also known as the “Best Budget Ever” — to extend the existing bike network currently running alongside Food Center Drive to go along Halleck Street and expand access to the waterfront. Today’s announcement continues Mayor Adams’ vision to turn New York City’s waterfront into a Harbor of the Future; establish New York City as the global destination for green technology, innovation, and opportunity; and create approximately 53,000 temporary and permanent jobs and $95 billion in economic impact.
“For hundreds of years, New York City’s waterways have powered our economy and made our city a global destination for commerce, capital, and cargo. With the investments our administration is making every day, we are writing the next chapter in that history and turning our waterfront into a ‘Harbor of the Future.’ From a first-in-the-nation climate research facility on Governors Island to a state-of-the-art life sciences hub at Kips Bay to much more, our ‘Harbor of the Future’ will create tens of thousands of jobs, generate billions in economic impact, and keep our city at the front of emerging industries,” said Mayor Adams. “Today, we are adding yet another stop to that harbor by clearing away the old jail barge in the Bronx and building a new Hunts Point Marine Terminal in its place. We’ll unload cargo from all across the world for delivery throughout New York City, put even more New Yorkers to work in vibrant industries, and continue to show that cities can do bold, ambitious things. But we’re not stopping there. Later this month, our city has a chance to do yet another big thing when leaders vote on the future of the Brooklyn Marine Terminal. We have a once-in-a-generation chance to turn this crumbling facility into a modern maritime port with thousands of new homes, hundreds of thousands of square feet of industrial space, and dozens of acres of green space. In short, we have a chance to say ‘yes’ to a bolder, brighter future for our city.”
“I served the Bronx as borough president and New York City councilmember for nearly 12 years, and I am thrilled by today’s announcement to remove the Vernon Bain Correctional Facility,” said Deputy Mayor for Housing, Economic Development, and Workforce Adolfo Carrión Jr. “But I am even more excited by what’s ahead: meaningful investments in the people of Hunts Point and the transformation of this site into a ‘Blue Highway’ superstation to move more goods by water and reduce truck traffic, congestion and air pollution in the South Bronx.”
“The vision to transform the decommissioned Vernon C. Bain Center into the Hunts Point Marine Terminal will usher in a new era for this site that will result in not only a new ‘Blue Highways’ facility, but bring waterfront access, greenway improvements, and much-needed good-paying jobs for the Hunts Point community,” said NYCEDC President and CEO Kimball. “The Hunts Point Marine Terminal will advance a robust and sustainable food distribution supply chain and deliver on critical commitments, including in our ‘Hunts Point Forward’ plan and as part of our Harbor of the Future. We are grateful to Mayor Adams for his vision and leadership, and look forward to working together with our agency partners, elected officials, and the community to make this vision a reality.”
“As DOC modernizes and develops, we bid farewell to the retired Vernon C. Bain Center,” said DOC Commissioner Maginley-Liddie. “We look forward to a new vision for the community and are proud to do our part to facilitate this transfer. We also thank the many people who bravely served at the facility over the past three decades and who dedicated themselves to keeping our city and the people in our care safe.”
