EDC Meeting @ Imlay
2025-02-05 Summary Notes & Transcript from EDC meeting at 160 Imlay, Feb 5
Original Prepared List of Questions Here
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Present from EDC -
PJ Berg, Executive Vice President, Real Estate Transaction Services
Mikelle Adgate, SVP Government & Community Relations,
Haya Rizvi, Assistant Vice President at Neighborhood Strategies
Betty (unsure of position)
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SUMMARY NOTES, RE: RUSHED TIMELINE
Masterplan v. General Project Plan.
The Masterplan is what is being voted on in early April. Per EDC, a viable MP is required in order to secure the Federal grant (which will be matched by the City grant – these initial sources of funding will be the tipping point to move forward on the project, and - in doing so, release the city from the current financial subsidizing of the port and piers - subsidies that it cannot sustain indefinitely).
Haya (EDC) – what we vote on at the end of March, for the vision plan (Master Plan), includes – general land uses, general expansion of types of use, and the commitments to community.
The Masterplan will shape the General Project Plan (GPP) which will include much more detail and response to / collaboration with other aspects like zoning, codes, coastal resiliency, etc.
The EDC stated that – in the time between the Masterplan and General Project Plan - there will be continued room for "community feedback" (also read: opportunity for other groups / decision-makers to impact change).
In regards to the rush on solidifying the Masterplan - the EDC shared two key reasons:
1// a deadline (unstated) to secure the Federal Grant, and corollary to that…
2// the city not being able to subsidize the port / piers indefinitely
Many people feel that the rush is also part of political play / pressure in order to bolster Mayor Adam’s campaign, by reaching the housing units he declared in City of Yes, and building the project budget into FY26.
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PROJECT INTRO / OVERVIEW – BETTY (EDC)
Agreement between NYS, NYC and port authority - land swap - city takes control of BMT - envision it as modern port with mixed use building
Stakeholders - collaborative process (ex: 28 member Task Force)
Current tenants - Pier 7 (beer) Pier 8 (US customs), 9a and 9b (condemned - marginal pier)
Pier 10 (RH container terminal), Pier 11 (future home of homeport 2) Pier 12 (cruise)
Pile supported - no foundation to support dense building (Piers 7 - 9b)
Starting with Pier 11 - RHCR
Blue Highway - emphasis
Feedback from community –– Interest in public space, open space, climate change and resilience at forefront, workforce development for local residents, affordable housing
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TRANSCRIPT
[Questions from Residents are in BOLD. Answers from EDC members are noted by member]
JOHN
Question 1a and its parts –– What is driving the timeline for the BMT masterplan? Why does the masterplan need to be approved by April 2025?
MIKELLE
The conditions at MT have had challenges - primarily lack of investment and maintenance from PA. Tenants of 9a / 9b were moved to Pier 11. There are portions of the piers that are collapsing / potentially landing in the East River. The decline accelerated discussions about what to do. RH Container Terminal has been operating with public subsidy these past years. When the decided that City would take over control of the site - immediate city and state funding went into place –– $55million 7, 8 and 10 to make sure they didn’t collapse + $15mm commitment for electric crane for container terminal. State added $15mm for cold storage. Federal dollars were also pursued. The need for repair was too great to be met by the City / State. Federal MEGA grant for $164mm to support the piers. Federal dollars require environmental review, etc… before full commitment. Having the Federal dollars meant that EDC needed to move quickly in order to get through enviro, review, etc and keep funding secured.
Combo of trying to secure the federal dollars + Masterplan , site plan , community input required to present to Federal bodies.
It requires the city *match* the federal funding (in addition to city money mentioned above)... trying to get it into the FY26 budget…
The expedited timeline is in part as playing catch up, due to the negligence over the past 40 years.
JOHN
Questions about rush on timeline for dense housing scenarios.
MIKELLE
Tenants, business and community feedback has been “how does the port become profitable, or less unprofitable” - turning over to PJ per financial analysis
PJ
Combined grants are not enough for rebuilding the port, so they have identified additional value opportunities… (grant is $300 combined, but PJ expects $1b in cost for repair of port… ) so they looked at use of sites on BMT acres to use as revenue supplementation
KIMBERLY
Why is housing the main option for funding, given that transportation is poor, and infrastructure is unmaintained, un-ready to support this?
PJ
Grant money is the first seed money… then move to development (housing, hotel, and port itself for commercial economic activity … this combo of mix of uses is what creates the…)
SUSAN
Does the Federal grant require an MP (of 122 acres) to be certified in order to allocate the money to fix the piers.
MIKELLE
It doesn’t require a housing plan, but it does require a site plan and scope of work to show how the federal dollars are being supported by city dollars for the overall site development.
Must show viable scope / viable project… in order for the Fed to invest the money even for the port.
What is the deadline / timeline for the due date of plan – (Not answered… Mikelle to get back to us)
PJ
The city needs to match $109m in order to get the grant… but that isn’t approved by city yet, and MP is needed by city in order to secure city match and then grant funding
MIKELLE
The city office of management and budget does require that in order to ensure that OMB (controlled by the mayor's office) will approve those funds, EDC has to show a viable project.
Municipal finance authority would require for any city funded project … that the EDC demonstrate that it has a Viable Project. Municipal Bond rules (supported also by PJ)
JOERG
How flexible is that master plan once approved / selected. How much opportunity is in that scenario for fine-tuning and community feedback?
MIKELLE
March is not the end of the process. Getting to the point of a site plan approved by the Task Force moves the project into the GPP process (walked through with ESC).., which also requires advisement along the way.
What EDC has been charged with (by Task Force) is to not have too much variability after the site plan is approved (so that EDC can’t up-end it) but there will still be opportunity for the community to engage on some of the elements. There will be many pieces that will be worked through in the GPP process (that still has community engagement)
GWEN
Can the process be broken down into phases?
MIKELLE
Talking about more than keep the piers –
Scope of the 164 ($164mm?) is a few different things (map page 1) – 7, 8, 9a and 9b (finger piers) … not at current standard for best maritime use. Better use is marginal piers (like 10, 11, 12)
Funding for the MEGA grant includes turning 8/9a/9b into a marginal pier. Improvements at PIER 10 and transportation improvements throughout the terminal itself. That is the scope of MEGA funding.
EDC is still working with US DOT on the milestones.
It is required that there is a fuller plan in place to make maritime more successful than it is.
PJ
The new pier is one aspect of development. But overall the site has lacked investment and maintenance for years and years. The piers 10-12 have only a 5-7 year life cycle left… so the work needs to be accomplished. Of the 4 cranes (only 2 work).
SUSAN
How much money is the Port Authority required to put in to remediate their 40 year lack of discipline. Why was there no negotiation with the Port Authority?
MIKELLE
Part of the separation (land swap) was the very complicated long-standing governance model for the 2 sites (here and Staten Island) … EDC , DOT, City of New York have a vision for a blue highway … this is the mission. Land swap is one way to describe it or rather ‘conscious uncoupling’ so NYC can pursue its own missions and more in line with what the city wants to move forward on.
KAI
Will EDC protect us from a hotel being put right in front of us (and that would cast a shadow over RH).?
PJ
Attend the public meetings and give input to the Task Force to give our priorities.
MIKELLE
To be clear is that the reason for this meeting is to take this feedback. Imlay is saying “no hotel here”
There is no current plan to have a hotel right here at the shed / Pier 11.
JOERG
One input idea could be… use the space at the ferry terminal for green space, community use, … a green space portal into Red Hook, which is also space that is valuable for current residents and new / incoming residents. Fine tuning ideas that would make the project more successful and also reflect / respond to our specific concerns.
How can we get our input in??
MIKELLE
(responding) that Joerg’s comments are consistent with additional community input they have been getting.
PJ
The MP is a scenario that will be studied in environmental review that is required by Federal grants
KIMBERLY
If MP is approved with 7000-9000 units, is EDC held to building that density of units?
PJ
No, there is wiggle room for negotiation.
KIMBERLY
What is minimum housing required?
MIKELLE
Different scenarios require different revenue needed to support it.
HAYA
Open space, community amenities add to cost. And add to the need for more money.
[RESIDENT]
Where is the most feasible place for housing?
PJ
ATF warehouse / secret services / Pier 12
UPS Lot
Columbia Street Waterfront
Last communication from UPS is that they are not intending to develop it and may consider it for sale.
[RESIDENT]
Would that be a feasible place for a hotel?
HAYA
Housing sites are not fixed at this time.
Is it technically feasible to build housing on Pier 11? Yes, technically.
Is it being planned for high density housing in current scenarios? Not now.
JOHN
The vacant lot next to us, and the Christie’s building? Interest in purchase?
PJ
No - to Christie’s building.
HAYA
No - to Christie’s building.
SUSAN
Re: the 4 scenarios
Depending on the scenario – Christie’s and the lot next to Imlay are marked as yellow (mixed use housing) or Pink (Pier 11 shed) as a mixed-use commercial. Is this hotel?
PJ
Pink is industrial
PAOLA
Will the cruise terminal stay?
HAYA
Yes, the cruise terminal (based on community feedback) … will stay. It is not worth the expense of moving it north along the side.
The plan for use of space around the cruise terminal is in reference to best practices of other cruise terminals.
SUSAN
Will Pier 11 or 12 be torn down?
HAYA
RHCRP is moving forward, and meeting regularly with EDC. Coastal Resiliency. There will probably be enhanced flood protection along Pier 11…
JOHN
When we’re talking about MP and scenarios that have yellow, pink, etc… how should we be thinking about them?
What is the guidance that is critical in the MP that everyone really needs to be providing feedback around?
PJ
You can think of it a little like zoning. It tells you what’s permitted but it doesn’t specify what will be built.
What the MP will say is that we will increase the types of uses around the port, to include uses like XYZ and generally where they would be allowed and not allowed.
KAI
Is there going to be a building that blocks our view?
HAYA
What we vote on at the end of March, for the vision plan, includes – general land uses, general expansion of types of use, and the commitments to community.
The GPP will have a lot more detail about what will be built on each block , allowances for building heights, etc… and this will also go through a public engagement process.
SUSAN
Where are the economic and feasibility studies? Where are the infrastructure studies that support the color zoning. And what are the market feasibility studies for things like a hotel for cruise-goers?
KELLY
How will transportation work? And have there been lessons from Greenpoint?
SUSAN
Raised spine road?
KIMBERLY
How will we support 50% increase of population?
HAYA
Infrastructure - all studies include costs for site prep (this is built into cost approximations)
Any process, just like ULURP, will include environmental impact, impact on the community, and EDC and MP will be held accountable.
Transportation - they have heard loud and clear from every part of 122 acres that traffic concerns are high. Working with DOT for commitments for better buses. Also potentially adding bus priority lanes.
Still early in the planning phase, but they (EDC) are hearing this across the board.
PJ
Port traffic would occur through port property. Freeing up Van Brunt for more bus and traffic.
MIKELLE
Re: optimizing ferry service (taken into consideration for this landing and across the network)
All of the analysis goes into the environmental review (inclusive of traffic, how are workers arriving, where are they parking, etc)
DANIEL
Concern over 50% increase in population. Cart before the horse for feasibility and infrastructure studies.
JOSH
Don’t ladder up to industry, developers or politicians. Residents live here not just for the port or the cruise terminal. Focus please on the residents who are here. No big buildings blocking view. Ladder up to the residents that have been living here and invested their lives and livelihood here.
The neighborhood has been underserved for decades, RH keeps getting passed over.
MIKELLE
Green space, access to waterfront and job creation is what the community has voiced are priorities.
SUSAN
Don’t turn pier 7 over to brooklyn bridge park. Give us green space in brooklyn.
KAI
Amphitheater, concerts, community-building venues
JESS
Why haven’t you released the studies?
MIKELLE
The discussions EDC is having with all of the different people on the infrastructure side (DOT, utilities, etc) … it’s not that they can right now show maps that are specific to all the sites.
Through a detailed environmental review, the feasibility studies and plans come to fruition through the process.
Will the infrastructure support this influx? That is what the environmental review process will address. And that is open to public engagement.
PJ
Table 9 (in doc, reference), shows the investment for infrastructure.
KIMBERLY
Transportation studies, feasibility studies have not been done to perform this, but will be done after the MP is voted on?
PJ
There has been analysis for how much will be required in order to basically support the plan.
Economic studies yes. (PJ - pressed by Susan - agreed to share economic studies)
BOB
Who is in charge of making the final decisions on what is built? And does the community have a say?
The history of politics in NY is that developers come in at the last minute, and money and developers and politics play a huge part.
HAYA
There will be opportunities for feedback prior to vote in March (with another public workshop)
Beyond those public feedback moments… Community Advisory Council will be formed as the body to hold the process accountable.
GWEN
What is needed by March?
HAYA
It is likely that later in March there will be a public workshop in which components of the MP is presented.
KAI
What it sounds like is that - in 6 weeks an MP will come out, and could that MP change?
HAYA
The MP could still change.
ELI
If we have to go nuclear on something (to impact change) what do we do and where do we go?
MIKELLE
Points out that this process is somewhat unprecedented in previous models and developments. EDC is working to align on goals and efforts, taking in a lot of feedback, in order to create a plan - a commitment to continue conversation and engagement as they align on land use, infrastructure, etc. For EDC to go through this level of community engagement is not historic.
SUSAN
Voices the feeling that the timeline is too rushed.
Really look at the project and take the politics out of it, and take the community into account.
VITO
Add green space. Also concerned about desire of cruise customers to stay in a hotel (not probable)
[RESIDENT]
Is there a possibility that the MP is not passed?
If ⅔ of the Task Force does not vote in favor of a scenario what happens?
If they do (if it is approved) how likely is the 2028 start date?
MIKELLE
If it is not approved, the existing conditions will continue to play out. And the city will not be able to continue to operate the terminal at the subsidy at which it has. So EDC would need to look for additional input. (as-of-rights scenario)
PJ
The vote in March (now April) is a vote by the Task Force to recommend a Masterplan / Site Plan.
That recommendation then goes through the formal approval process.
PJ
This is a historic collaboration as far as how the project is being approached
MIKELLE
EDC sees the grant funding not as a small thing, but as significant engagement of public
JOHN
Want to make sure any development respects our investment and love in RH
We want to be collaborative, and engaged and part of the process. If there are other ways to engage.