Red Hook Piers Update: Things Go From Weird to Weirder

Every few weeks, it seems, there is news to convey about the slow burn known as the city's plan to convert the Red Hook Piers from a container port into something that is, well, quite different. The ideas have already gone through many iterations, and various parts--including housing--have fallen off or been removed. Now, Sarah Ryley reports in the Brooklyn Eagle that the proposal "is at a stalemate." Container port operator American Stevedoring, which had all but been declared dead in the water last year by redevelopment advocates, has turned out to have far more staying power than those hoping to move it out seem to have anticipated. The Eagle reports:

Luxury housing, a hotel and another cruise ship terminal — once major components of the Economic Development Corporation’s (EDC) proposal — have already been delayed or dropped from the plan. Now, Brooklyn Brewery, the marina and a ferry connection could be the next casualties of the agency’s attempt to wrestle Piers 7 to 10 from containerport operator American Stevedoring, which has been unloading the region’s food, clothing and furniture there for more than a decade.

The latest snag came last month, when EDC officials said they would consider temporarily relocating beer distributor Phoenix Beverage to Pier 11 while awaiting the outcome of a federal court battle over Pier 7, now occupied by American Stevedoring’s warehousing subsidiary...Tom Fox, president of New York Water Taxi and a finalist in the EDC’s process of selecting a developer for the Atlantic Basin and Pier 11, said sharing the space with Phoenix Beverage would make his project unfeasible. A large portion of his proposal, submitted in partnership with The Durst Organization, would be located on Pier 11, including a new Water Taxi headquarters to accommodate the growing business, a dry dock, and a maritime maintenance and fueling center...

Steve Hindy, president of Brooklyn Brewery, said he’s been in negotiations to relocate to Pier 7 for three years, but is now considering moving to Gowanus, Bushwick or East Williamsburg. “American Stevedoring seems to have some politicians on their side, and it’s creating a stalemate,” said Hindy. “The project’s not moving; it’s not happening.”

The Public Place parcel that Brooklyn Brewery has previously identified as a site it might like is not likely to be ready for occupancy for several years--at best--given the extent of the toxic cleanup that needs to occur. It was the site of a Manufactured Gas Plant that left behind an underground stew of toxins as deep as 150 feet. As for the Red Hook issue, there are, no doubt, many more updates to come.

Related Post:
Red Hook Piers Plan Takes Another Curious Twist