New spaces, new jobs bring centennial hope to Brooklyn Army Terminal

1,000 new jobs, amenities boost old troop deployment center's role

May 31, 2018 By Paul Frangipane Brooklyn Daily Eagle

City officials and new Brooklyn Army Terminal tenants cut the ribbon on the new space. Shown are Deputy Mayor Alicia Glen, left, NYCEDC President James Patchett, center, and Councilmember Carlos Menchaca, right. Eagle photos by Paul Frangipane

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City officials and new Brooklyn Army Terminal tenants on Thursday cut the ribbon on 500,000 square feet of space to host over 1,000 new jobs in celebration of the waterfront location’s 100th birthday.

The space is part of the city’s plan to transform the army terminal into a modern manufacturing hub after it was deactivated in the 1970s. In addition to the company’s leasing, the terminal now boasts an outdoor public space for community members to use and get easier accessibility to the nearby ferry.

“This building that you’re in right now, for the last 50 years has sat vacant, asbestos-filled … this was not a place that anyone could safely work or frankly even go into,” James Patchett, president of the New York City Economic Development Corporation, told a room full of new tenants.

“And in just the last couple of years we have completely transformed it into a place that will be home to more than 1,000 people that are going to be working here,” he said.

Over a dozen companies showcasing their products and services from chocolates to recycling printer cartridges joined in the celebration, including technology company Altronix, a longtime terminal tenant.

Manufacturing electronics for more than 20 years at the army terminal, the company will now be able to expand into 130,000 square feet of space, while new tenant SPark Workshops will be able to double its current space from Industry City.

And the army terminal opened up the door to Lowercase NYC, an eyeglasses company that opened its first manufacturing spot in the new space.

“As we look forward to the next century, we want to make sure that this is place where everybody wants to work,” said Deputy Mayor Alicia Glen.

In an effort to connect the hub to the nearby community, the city also created a platform called Launch Pad that will offer work training to residents.

The four-million-square-foot army terminal designed by Cass Gilbert served the country as a supply base and Army headquarters during World War II, according to an NYCEDC statement. It had reached the end of its military service by the 1960s and was purchased by the city in 1981.

The Brooklyn Army Terminal will be hosting a series of arts, culture and community programming over the summer leading up to a Sept. 15 birthday block party.