On September 23, 2024, Mayor Eric Adams announced that New York City was issued $260 million in federal grants from the U.S. Department of Transportation through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. The funding will support key infrastructure projects in New York City, including the transformation of the Brooklyn Marine Terminal and the construction of a greenway segment along 10th Avenue in Inwood. The City has secured $2.37 billion in funding, including roughly $1.3 billion in competitive grants.
Brooklyn Marine Terminal
The Brooklyn Marine Terminal transformation will utilize $164 million of the $260 million in federal grant funding. This project builds on the $95 million initiative that focused on transforming the 122-acre Brooklyn Marine terminal and repairs to Piers 7, 8, and 10. The repairs to Piers 7, 8, and 10 included demolishing structurally deficient areas of Piers 9A and 9B and replacing them with a new Pier 9, a new electrified container crane for operations at the terminal, and a new cold storage facility on-site. These improvements aim to improve traffic and circulation for pedestrians, cyclists, and motorists. This project is expected to generate $9 billion of economic value while potentially creating thousands of jobs within the decade.
Earlier this month, the New York City Economic Development Corporation announced the Brooklyn Marine Terminal Task Force. The task force will approve a plan that includes the reinvestment and development of a modernized maritime port and a vibrant mixed-use community for the Brooklyn Marine Terminal in early 2025. The New York City Economic Development Corporation selected Buro Happold as the consulting firm to conduct the plan and WXY to lead the engagement process.
The task force is comprised of experts, including federal, state, and local elected officials; the local community board; local resident organizations; maritime and industrial stakeholders; unions; planning and environmental justice organizations; and representatives of the local business community.
The New York City Economic Development Corporation launched a series of community engagement events in August. An initial public survey is now available online to gain community feedback.
Inwood Greenway
The $96 million Inwood Greenway project consists of adding a new greenway segment that will stretch 1.35 miles along 10th Avenue, from West 201st Street to West 218th Street, with new, direct connections to Inwood Hill Park at West 218th Street and the Bronx via the Broadway and University Heights bridges. The project aims to fill one of the last major gaps in the Manhattan Waterfront Greenway creating a continuous cycling route around the island, improving traffic safety, and delivering a host of safety upgrades. These upgrades include a new plaza, sidewalk extensions, pedestrian islands, bus boarding extensions, raised crosswalks, and improved lighting under the elevated subway line.
The City will also install a full pedestrian plaza on Post Avenue between 10th Avenue and West 207th Street, adding vital public space to Inwood. The New York City Department of Design and Construction will enter the preliminary design phase in spring 2025, followed by public engagement.
The project, along with other projects that focus on greenway expansion across the five boroughs, help advance the Adam’s administration goal to “close the loop” for cyclists and pedestrians around the island of Manhattan.
Mayor Adams stated, “Building a safer, more affordable New York City means investing in our city’s future — in 21st-century jobs, in state-of-the-art infrastructure, and in our public spaces. And thanks to the Biden-Harris administration, we’re able to take major steps forward towards doing just that. We’re bringing thousands of jobs and billions in economic impact to our city by transforming the Brooklyn Marine Terminal into a modern, 21st-century maritime port and mixed-use community hub, and we’re bringing new public space and safety improvements to Inwood with our greenway along 10th Avenue. This helps get us that much closer to having New Yorkers be able to bike and walk all the way around Manhattan on greenways. And as we kick off Climate Week, these investments will help us build a cleaner, greener city for all New Yorkers.”
Deputy Mayor for Operations Meera Joshi said, “The cornerstone of building a better New York City is smart infrastructure. Today, that is made possible through an historic level of funding from the Biden-Harris administration and the tireless work of our congressional delegation. This is the largest single day of competitive infrastructure grants in New York City history. These two projects represent the breadth of urgent infrastructure investment in our city, from updating our roads for modern, safe mobility to revitalizing our waterfront for greener freight movement. Huge credit to our Federal Infrastructure Funding Task Force, which, since January 2022, has collaborated to earn us more than $1 billion in competitive grants, with more to come to build a stronger future for New York City.”
By: Chelsea Ramjeawan (Chelsea is the CityLaw intern and a New York Law School student, Class of 2025.)