It is now official – New York Port and New Jersey’s South Brooklyn Maritime Terminal in Sunset Park has been reinstated as being a working maritime port facility.
The United States Department of Transportation and the United States Maritime Administration have announced SBMT’s and the nearby Red Hook Container Terminal’s inclusion into the US Marine Highway System, which is going to make it possible for Southwest Brooklyn cargo operations to become eligible for receiving potential future federal support.
Photo: EDC
“This achievement serves as a great start of making our waterfront operational once again. Soon enough, cargo vessels that would have probably docked in New Jersey are going to be docking right here in Brooklyn, thus providing additional jobs, taking trucks off the streets and contributing for the growth of this industrial hub,” commented Mayor Bill de Blasio.
Earlier this year, in May, the New York City Council issued its approval for a long-term master lease to be established between the City and the New York City Economic Development Corporation (NYCEDC) for the purposes of activating an industrial maritime facility over at SBMT.
The project is going to help SBMT get back its maritime services and will provide for the necessary criteria to manage calls from an all new cargo ship generation that imports consumer goods as well as raw material from all over the globe.
Additionally, SBMT’s enhanced rail connections turn it into the single marine terminal in Queens, Brooklyn and Long Island that has the capability to handle ocean-going ships, barges and rail on the New York Harbor’s east side.
The United States Department of Transportation is in charge of the America’s Marine Highway program, which is a federal initiative aiming to integrate 29,000 nautical miles of the nation’s navigable waterways into the United States’ overall transportation network.