Happy Friday, Columbia Street Waterfront! In this issue:
- Just as the BMT environmental review scoping comment period nears its end, EDC schedules two sessions on that mysterious RFEI!
- Complete the Columbia Street Traffic Survey
- Sign the petition to open the Pre-K at 129 Van Brunt Street and President Street! 225 signatures so far! Add yours today!
- Sign up for the CSWA Community Clean-up Day/Scavenger Hunt on Earth Day, April 18!
BMT (Brooklyn Marine Terminal)
At the BMT Environmental Review Info Session on March 11, the discussion turned to what alternative plans could be included in the assessment. Several community members asked about the Brooklyn Marine Terminal Port Operations and Maritime Industrial Uses Request for Expressions of Interest (RFEI). The EDC (Economic Development Corporation) participants said that they hoped to schedule public sessions to review responses to this RFEI before the written commentary period on the scope of the environmental assessment ends on March 31. Many of us at the meeting didn't think this was possible. But Wednesday evening, the email arrived from NYC EDC announcing not one, but two virtual sessions, next Tuesday, March 24, and Wednesday, March 25, both 6:00 PM to 7:30 PM. We have registration info below.
But wait, you ask, what is an RFEI? Most of us have heard of Request for Proposals or Requests for Information. But Request for Expressions of Interest? There's no entry in Wikipedia for this term. But we do have EDC's own explanation of their RFEI, from the document sent out to port operators and other organizations last fall: "Although the BMT port is envisioned to include the Brooklyn Cruise Terminal with the container and flex maritime terminals as a single commercial port area, the focus of this Request for Expressions of Interest (“RFEI”) is to solicit ideas for how BMT could be optimized for maritime industrial uses."
Why does this matter? Why attend one of the sessions next week? After all, this all sounds rather wonky!
- Back in September 2025, our Brooklyn Borough President and member of the BMT Task Force, Antonio Reynoso, announced he was changing his vote on the EDC's BMT Vision Plan from No to Yes. He gave this reason on The Bryan Lehrer Show on September 16: "The reason I switched my vote is because we now have an RFEI, or request for information, that is going to help us inform this process and see if there are port operators out in the world that would be willing to take a risk here. They might need more than 60 acres. They might need 70. They might need 80. They might need 100. RFEI is going to give us an opportunity to inform the plan before it's over."
Reynoso voting "Yes" helped propel the BMT Task Force's final vote in favor of the Vision Plan. Many of us have been waiting to see if the RFEI responses would offer different views on the port. Next Tuesday and Wednesday we may find out.
- At the March 11 meeting, we discussed at length the importance (and, by law, the necessity) of including alternative plans in the environmental analysis. After all, the base comparison is between the impacts of the Vision Plan and doing nothing with the entire site. No one we know is advocating to do nothing. The BMT Task Force process did not include alternative plans. Several have been proposed outside of the process. The RFEI responses may form a basis for other plans with greater emphasis on port and industrial uses.
Bottom line: everyone in the community will want to hear about the responses to the RFEI. If you haven't submitted your written commentary on the environmental review, you may want to incorporate what you learn next week. And if you have, you can always send additional comments before the March 31 deadline.
Registration for EDC's virtual RFEI reviews:
Click here for the March 24 session.
Click here for the March 25 session.
CEQR (City Environmental Quality Review) final countdown to March 31 deadline (well, at least for now...)
Many thanks to all who attended and spoke at the BMT CEQR (City Environmental Quality Review) scoping meeting this past Tuesday. Many community members spoke eloquently and passionately about how important it is to address their concerns about the environmental impact of this massive project.
Written comments can be sent up to end of day March 31, 2026, to Emily Spokowski, espokowski@moec.nyc.gov. Please feel free to copy in CSWA at admin@columbiastreetwaterfront.org. We will be completing our Association's written comments over the next week and want to incorporate as much of the community's concerns as possible.
Resources:
Here is the presentation from the March 11 BMT Environmental Impact review session. Community members who are concerned the study area will be large enough to assess impacts on traffic, flooding, etc. will find slides 17 and 18 useful. These document the study area boundaries for each "technical area". You can specify which boundaries need to be expanded in your comments.
Here is the CSWA handout from March 11 with tips and suggested focus areas. And the CSWA Greening Committee's Guiding Principles for Open Space and the BMT.
Finally, many residents have raised the necessity to study the impacts of BMT construction on existing buildings along Columbia Street and environs. This 1976 article from the Brooklyn Phoenix may be useful to cite, as it describes damage to multiple buildings which the residents and businesses blamed on sewer construction.
Note: CSWA intends to write the city and EDC to request an extension on the comment deadline given the RFEI results shared at the last minute. For now, the March 31 date is still in force.
Columbia Street Traffic Safety
Following the March 10 meeting at Jalopy with the DOT, we sent attendees and those who registered but could not attend a survey about traffic safety concerns on Columbia Street. We'd like to hear from our entire community. Please respond by Friday, March 27.
Addressing Columbia Street Waterfront's Shortage of Public Pre-Schools
The planned but never opened 3K center at 129 Van Brunt Street, corner of President Street, hit the news a few weeks ago. Neighborhood families are asking questions. Lots of questions. How can this be when residents are facing massive waiting lists and skyrocketing private Pre-K tuitions? CSWA has raised the issue with Council Member Hanif's office and will write all the electeds. Here is a petition started by neighbor Jessica Setton: sign to show your support for DOE to open this Pre-K center as soon as possible.
CWSA Earth Day Celebration - Community Clean-Up Day and Scavenger Hunt!!! Register today!
Click here or scan the QR code below!
All Upcoming Dates!
- Tuesday March 24 and Wednesday, March 25, 6:00-7:30: EDC Virtual Sessions on responses to the Brooklyn Marine Terminal Port Operations and Maritime Industrial Uses Request for Expressions of Interest (RFEI).
- Tuesday, March 31: Deadline for BMT CEQR Scoping written commentary
- Saturday, April 18, 10 AM to 12 PM: CSWA Clean-up Day with Scavenger Hunt! (rain date Sunday, April 19) - starting at Human Compass Garden, corner of Sackett St and Columbia St
Questions? Email us at admin@columbiastreetwaterfront.org. Also, please share our mailing list sign-up page with your friends and neighbors: Columbia Street Waterfront Association Email List.
Media Contact:
Randy Gordon, President
Columbia Street Waterfront Association, Inc.
Phone: 917-593-2674
Email: admin@columbiastreetwaterfront.org
