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South Brooklyn Marine Terminal to Open as Working Port

 The city will reactivate South Brooklyn Marine Terminal in Sunset Park, officials said on Monday
The city will reactivate South Brooklyn Marine Terminal in Sunset Park, officials said on Monday
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BROOKLYN — The city will reactivate South Brooklyn Marine Terminal as a working maritime port facility, which the city claims will create hundreds of jobs and take several trucks off the road, officials announced on Monday. 

The announcement was made after the U.S. Maritime Administration and the U.S Department of Transportation added the Marine Terminal in Sunset Park as well as the Red Hook Container Terminal to America's Marine Highway Program on Monday. 

The program aims to make the most of the country's navigable waterways by integrating maritime facilities into transportation networks, reducing trucks on the road and improving air quality, officials said. 

This also means that both facilities will be eligible for federal support, authorities said. 

City officials hailed the announcement as a key milestone in ongoing efforts to re-establish southwest Brooklyn as a vital shipping hub.

“This is a big step towards putting our waterfront back to work," Mayor Bill de Blasio said on Monday.

"Soon, cargo ships that would have docked in New Jersey will be docking here in Brooklyn, bringing good jobs, taking trucks off our streets and helping spur this growing industrial hub,” de Blasio said.

The city is now looking for short term maritime uses, such as vehicle equipment import/export and dockside repair for industrial and commercial vessels, according to South Brooklyn Marine Terminal's website. 

Officials are also preparing a Request For Proposals to find a long-term tenant for the port, a spokesman for City Hall said.