The $3.5 billion proposal envisions a modernized port alongside a mixed-use development that will reshape the waterfront. The plan includes:
A 60-acre modern, all-electric port.
6,000 new apartments, with at least 40% (2,400 units) permanently affordable.
$200 million for NYCHA Red Hook Houses East and Red Hook Houses West, plus $75 million for affordable housing preservation in Community Board 6.
28+ acres of new public open space, including a new waterfront park next to Brooklyn Bridge Park, 1.7 acres at Degraw & Columbia, and 6 acres at the Cruise Terminal.
A mile-long greenway linking Brooklyn Bridge Park to Atlantic Basin.
A new traffic and transit plan to improve pedestrian paths, bus routes, and ferries, plus solutions to cut down on truck use.
A new Brooklyn Cruise Terminal with public open space and a 400-room hotel.
Coastal protection measures to guard against sea-level rise and climate change.
The full BMT Vision Plan can be found here.
Despite revisions, the plan has still faced opposition by local neighborhood groups. Critics say the NYCEDC will bring too much private development and luxury housing to Red Hook’s working waterfront. There are also concerns of creating thousands of new housing units in a flood-prone area without subway access, and whether public infrastructure like schools, sewers, and transit can handle the growth.
The NYCEDC maintains that new housing, retail, and a hotel are essential to fill a funding gap for port upgrades—even after securing $164 million in federal funds and $95 million in city and state support.
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Updated: September 22, 2025.
