Brooklynites in Redhook Not Given Enough Notice About a Monday Night Zoom Meeting
Politicians and the EDC scheduled a Zoom Meeting for Monday, August 12th at 6:30 pm to answer questions about a project at Brooklyn Marine Terminal that started in June.
Senator Andrew Gounardes only announced the meeting on Friday, August 9th. (Here and here)
Senator Gounardes is supposed to represent the people, so if enough time wasn’t given, Gounardes should have spoken up for the people.
In March 2024, NYC announced a new wind project would take place at the Brooklyn Marine Terminal between 29th and 39th Street in Sunset Park, Brooklyn. (Source)
This is going to be the nation’s largest offshore Wind Port. (Source)
Why wouldn’t they take the time to hold a public meeting and share the information with the community that lives around this project?
In May, Governor Hochul said the state would back the project. (Source) At that point, Senator Andrew Gounardes should have held a Question and Answer session for residents.
The EDC is running this project. Senator Andrew Gounardes accepted a lot of money from the Tebele Family in 2022. (See chart below) In 2020, Charles Tebele was added to the EDC by Bill de Blasio. (Info).
The Tebele Family also funded the senator in the next district, 59 – Senator Kristen Gonzalez (shown on the map in red).
$65,000 was donated over two years – with more than half of that this year:
By mid-June, demolition began on Brooklyn Marine Terminal. (Source and see video below)
At the heart of our #ofshorewind work is an old port in #SunsetPark, Brooklyn. The South Brooklyn Marine Terminal, SBMT, will be transformed into a staging and operations center for our projects and a hub for reshaping New York's energy future. pic.twitter.com/pyydcYaqLa
— Equinor Wind US (@EquinorWindUS) December 28, 2023
The residents shared that this is the first public meeting:
If someone went away for the weekend, they wouldn’t even know about this meeting! How is that enough notice for a meeting?
Demo Days in Brooklyn ? ?? Demolition of the first warehouse at the South Brooklyn Marine Terminal (SBMT) is complete. Here’s a look at the future home for Empire Wind’s hub for onshore operations as the first building comes down. #construction #brooklyn pic.twitter.com/H091sVmtaL
— Equinor Wind US (@EquinorWindUS) July 1, 2024
PortSide ED Carolina Salguero discussed the meeting:
Can you help #RedHook and #ColumbiaWaterfront this weekend by getting flyers into store windows? We have 50 here about the Zoom Monday, 8/12, 6:30pm about replanning of the #Brooklyn Marine Terminal. DM, email, or call if you can help.????#workingwaterfront #maritime #rezoning pic.twitter.com/8bUHlOSnud
— PortSide NewYork (@PortSideNY) August 9, 2024
This $861 million project is supposed to create 1,000 construction jobs and apprenticeships on the 73-acre site. NYC Council representative, Alexa Aviles doesn’t seem to have a lot of faith in the project. She is watching this project because she wants to see Sunset Park residents being hired. Aviles said, “Because it’s something that could slip by and we look back and see only a handful [of local jobs], and that would be a travesty.” (Source)
Update: On Monday, August 12th, the NYC Council Representative emailed:
If you are interested in attending the Monday night Zoom meeting at 6:30 pm, (Register here)
Hugs,
marlene
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