Port Authority of NY/NJ Seeks Proposals for Red Hook Container Terminal

The Port Authority announced today that the agency is seeking proposals for maritime uses at the Red Hook Container Terminal, on Piers 9-11 in Brooklyn, to help determine the future of maritime activity on the Brooklyn waterfront. The Request For Expressions of Interest (RFEI) for the 80-acre terminal grew out of the ongoing Brooklyn Piers 6-12 Alternative Use Study, jointly conducted by the Port Authority and the New York City Economic Development Corporation. Proposals are being sought from businesses that have demonstrated experience operating marine terminal facilities and the financial capacity to undertake the obligations of a lease agreement. The terminal is available for lease for a minimum of five years beginning May 1, 2004. Port Authority Chairman Anthony R. Coscia said, “Much has changed in the world and in the maritime industry since the Red Hook Container Terminal opened in 1979. Through this process we hope to identify businesses that can maximize the economic potential for maritime operations to function and thrive on these piers along the Brooklyn waterfront.” Port Authority Vice Chairman Charles A. Gargano said, “The Brooklyn piers play a critical role in the economy of the city. Our goal is to maximize the economic value of this property to ensure that the residents of Brooklyn can derive the greatest benefits from it.” Port Authority Executive Director Joseph J. Seymour said, “We have received a number of inquiries from maritime businesses interested in operating on the Brooklyn waterfront. We, along with our partners, the New York City Economic Development Corporation, felt that seeking proposals through an RFEI process was the fairest way to both solicit and evaluate specific business proposals.” New York City Economic Development Corporation Chief Operating Officer Joshua Sirefman said, “A top priority for the Bloomberg administration is to identify opportunities for sustained and increased maritime activity. With the Port Authority, NYCEDC is working hard to develop strategies that will take full advantage of Brooklyn's extraordinary working waterfront, optimizing these sites as engines for economic growth.” The lease with the current operator of the Red Hook Container Terminal, American Stevedoring, Inc., expires April 30, 2004. Responses to the RFEI are due on or before Friday, August 29, 2003.