NYCEDC and Louisiana Scrap Metal Recycling, Participate in the Removal of the Vernon C. Bain Correctional Center from the Hunts Point Peninsula in the Bronx
Long-awaited Moment for the Hunts Point Peninsula as Louisiana Scrap Metal Recycling Removes Vernon C. Bain Correctional Center to be Taken Apart and Recycled
With the Prison Barge Removed, City can Begin Planning for Vision of Creating the Hunts Point Marine Terminal Signaling Two Critical Promises of Mayor Adams’ “Hunts Point Forward” Vision and Blue Highways Action Plan
NEW YORK, NY—Yesterday, New York City Economic Development Corporation (NYCEDC) and Deputy Mayor for Housing, Economic Development, and Workforce Adolfo Carrión Jr. gathered at the site of the decommissioned Vernon C. Bain Correctional Center (VCBC) in the Hunts Point Peninsula for the removal of the five-story jail barge by Louisiana Scrap Metal Recycling, a dismantling and recycling company NYCEDC selected through a Request for Proposal (RFP). Joined by the Hunts Point community, the removal signaled an emotional and long-awaited moment for residents, community leaders and elected officials who had been calling for the removal of the prison barge for many years. A total of four tug vessels were used to remove the barge including one offshore tug vessel and three assist tug vessels. The City will receive $1.5 million in compensation in addition to the significant value of removal and transportation of the barge out of New York.
Today’s announcement continues progress toward Mayor Adams’ commitment in 2022 to close and repurpose the VCBC site as part of the ‘Hunts Point Forward’ vision, a comprehensive plan to create economic opportunity and improve quality of life for New Yorkers in the Hunts Point neighborhood of the South Bronx. The plan outlines a 15-year vision shared by the city, elected officials and the community with more than 70 short- and long-term recommendations for creating family-sustaining jobs, improving public safety, enhancing community health and access to healthy food, promoting environmental justice, and delivering upgrades to open space, transportation, and other key community infrastructures.
“Today is a new day for the Hunts Point peninsula as we finally remove the Vernon C. Bain Correctional Center, a jail barge that has long overstayed on our city’s waterfront,” said NYCEDC President & CEO Andrew Kimball. “This celebratory moment is a win for the Hunts Point community, for Mayor Adams who put forth a bold vision in the ‘Hunts Point Forward’ plan, and for New York City as we can work on the next step towards making the Hunts Point Marine Terminal a reality while building on the Blue Highways Action Plan.”
With the removal of the former jail barge, the waterfront site can be accessed for redevelopment of the envisioned Hunts Point Marine Terminal, which would receive shipping containers and process their cargo onto additional barges and ferries for last-mile deliveries throughout New York City. This new marine terminal—which will create an estimated 400 construction jobs, 100 permanent jobs, and $3.9 billion in economic impact over the next 30 years—would serve as a key connection point between ports up and down the East Coast, including the Brooklyn Marine Terminal and other “Blue Highways” nodes in New York City. It would also remove an estimated 9,000 monthly truck trips from city streets and reduce congestion.
The vision of the Hunts Point Marine Terminal will build on the recently announced Blue Highways facility in partnership with Con Agg Global, located adjacent to the Fulton Fish Market in the Hunts Point Food Distribution Center and next door to the new Hunts Point Marine Terminal. Lastly, NYCEDC and the New York City Department of Transportation (NYC DOT) recently announced the launch of the Blue Highways Action Plan, a comprehensive report focused on actionable steps to revive short sea shipping and maritime freight movement throughout New York City waterways. This plan marks a major milestone in reimagining the city’s waterfront, reducing truck congestion, and creating new pathways for economic opportunity and sustainability through investments in maritime freight infrastructure
Anticipated for completion in 2027, EDC will invest $28.3 million in state of good repairs to the shoreline at the VCBC site and DSNY’s South Bronx Marine Transfer Terminal, as well as investments in an expansion of local greenways.
During this administration, progress on the Blue Highways program has accelerated rapidly. In the past two years, more tangible steps have been taken than in the previous two decades, including the creation of pilot routes using existing City assets, the announcements of a new Hunts Point Marine Terminal, a micro-freight facility at Downtown Skyport, as well as the recently approved and historic Brooklyn Marine Terminal (BMT) redevelopment project, which after more than a year of extensive engagement with community members and stakeholders, was passed by two-thirds majority to transform BMT into a fully electric, modern maritime port and vibrant mixed-use community
About NYCEDC
New York City Economic Development Corporation is a mission-driven, nonprofit organization that works for a vibrant, inclusive, and globally competitive economy for all New Yorkers. We take a comprehensive approach, through four main strategies: strengthen confidence in NYC as a great place to do business; grow innovative sectors with a focus on equity; build neighborhoods as places to live, learn, work, and play; and deliver sustainable infrastructure for communities and the city's future economy. To learn more about what we do, visit us on Facebook, X, LinkedIn, and Instagram.
