The long awaited next step in the selection of a Red Hook commuter ferry stop arrived in April with the publication of the NYC Economic Development Corporation’s (EDC) Environmental Impact Statement (EIS), covering 17 new passenger ferry stops, including Red Hook.
There are currently a number of ferries traversing the waters around Manhattan. The East River ferries are operated by NY Waterways. and connect various locations north of Brooklyn Bridge Park to lower and midtown Manhattan. Additionally, a ferry route connects Governors Island with downtown Manhattan. The NY Water Taxi has been operating ferries between Red Hook and lower Manhattan since 2002. Hornblower Cruises and Events, a West Coast company, has been operating ferries going to the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island since 2008.
EDC began studying expansion of NYC ferry service under the Bloomberg administration. A 245 page report was issued in 2013. The following is a quote from that report:
“Private developers would likely benefit from expanded ferry service to Red Hook, to serve as an amenity to their projects. New landings would impact property owned by Estate Four and the O’Connell Organization, and potentially unlock value for future development. Further study is needed to determine whether the proposed developments on Coffey Street and Imlay Street will generate enough traffic to warrant a new service or landing, and whether a public-private partnership could be structured to fund ferry investment.”
Ferry expansion carried over from the Bloomberg to the de Blasio administration. De Blasio trumpeted NYC Ferry expansion in his 2015 State-of-the-City Address. He added a, saying that new ferries would start to be added starting in 2017. EDC proceeded full steam ahead.
Unusual choice
In August 2015, Red Hook community leaders were shocked when – at a meeting of Community Board 6 – EDC announced their two proposed locations for the Red Hook Ferry Terminal. The first was at the end of the Beard Street Pier, on property owned by the O’Connell Organization; and the second was at Valentino Pier.
Many in the audience – including local businessman Jim Tampakas – pointed out that the Atlantic Basin, which abuts the Red Hook Cruise Terminal, would be a much more suitable location for a number of cogent reasons. CB6 member, Jerry Armer proposed a resolution strongly urging EDC to consider the Basin as a potential location. The resolution passed, and the next battle was fought in September 2015 at a public hearing in Borough Hall.
Almost thirty Red Hook residents, merchants and political representatives came to that hearing to explain again to EDC officials why the Atlantic Basin was the community’s preferred location.
The overriding reason was the centrality of the basin to Red Hook residents. It is at the end of Pioneer Street – much closer to the residential community than the Beard Street Pier. The Atlantic Basin also has the potential for sufficient off-street parking – as many of the parking spots adjacent to the Cruise Terminal are severely underutilized.
Tim Gilman-Sevcik, a Red Hook homeowner who suffered extensive damage from Sandy and a member of NY Rising, said that the community was unanimous in its displeasure of EDC’s ideas. He said that Atlantic Basin is one block from the bus and two blocks from public housing. He said that EDC’s locations featured ice floes, choppy water and extreme winds. He called Pioneer Street a logical central location for the long overdue improvement in transportation for the community. He wondered why no EIS was being done at the Basin. He said that it cost less, as the ferries could dock right by the land, eliminating the need for any gangway or floating barge.
The comments were recorded by EDC, and the newly released EIS changed one of the locations for the ferry stop, and added two others.
The two new locations are the community requested Atlantic Basin. The other is the existing facility behind IKEA in the Erie Basin.
IKEA would love to snag the commuter ferry terminal. According to spokesperson Lorna Montalvo, it would be a perfect fit. “We have the infrastructure, the parking, and shuttle service.
Additionally, Citibike will be here by the end of July.”
The NY Water Taxi has been bringing shoppers to IKEA and Fairway for a number of years. However, they recently announced that this summer would be their last. They claim that the city has been unfair with them by giving the contract for the new ferry service to Hornblower and not to them, or a combination of the NY Water Taxi and NY Waterways.
The NY Post reported that the co-owners, David Neil and Helena Durst recently told their 200 employees that “we have come to the conclusion that we have no choice, unless New York City’s
Economic Development Corporation changes its present course, but to close New York Water Taxi and cease all operations by the end of 2016.
The Water Taxi told the Star-Revue that they are in negotiations with EDC to try and work out a solution to keep them in business.
The second new location was the communities’ choice – Atlantic Basin. A lot of refurbishing to the bulkhead would have to take place in order to place the ferry stop there.
“Due to the deteriorated condition of the bulkhead at the potential Atlantic Basin site, a new pile supported gangway landing and cutoff sheetpile bulkhead would be constructed inboard of the existing structure. Concrete pile caps and deck would be installed to support the gangway connection in order to alleviate the need to demolish the existing bulkhead,” the EIS states.
The original proposed landing located at the end of the Beard Street Pier has been moved from that often blustery location to the back of Fairway, and to the right of the threatened Water Taxi landing. The EIS expresses a concern about the noise factor to the residents above Fairway, but notes that windows are double paned and should alleviate any noise problem. Windows on all sides of the Fairway building were recently replaced.
All the EIS had to say about the Valentino Pier site is that it is owned by the Parks Department, and adjacent to Coffey Street.
The fight for the Red Hook commuter ferry terminal may come down to a battle between our two largest businesses, and the residential community. EDC has personal relationships with the businesses. Residents will once again have to make themselves heard at the next public meeting scheduled for Tuesday evening, May 24 at 6 pm, at St. Francis College, Remsen and Clinton Streets, Brooklyn Heights.
