BROOKLYN — The Port Authority and New York City Thursday signed long-term agreements that will allow for the continuous operation of both the Brooklyn Cruise Terminal in Red Hook and the Howland Hook Marine Terminal on Staten Island.

The agreement also will allow for the long-awaited, proposed warehouse distribution center for a major beer distributor at Pier 11 in Red Hook.

In Brooklyn, the Port Authority agreed to a new lease with New York City Economic Development Corporation (NYCEDC) for the leasing of Red Hook’s Piers 11 and 12 for a 20-year term, with the option to extend the lease with three extension options through 2058.

NYCEDC, on behalf of the city, opened the Brooklyn Cruise Terminal on Pier 12 in 2006. The terminal is best known as a homeport for the Queen Mary 2, the only ship still offering regular trans-Atlantic service. However, Princess Cruises also offers cruises from Brooklyn to both the Caribbean and to Canada and New England.

More Beer Coming This Way

In addition to ensuring the long-term operation of the Brooklyn Cruise Terminal, the new lease also allows NYCEDC to extend Phoenix Beverages’ sublease for portions of Pier 11, where the company will develop a maritime-dependent distribution facility.

Phoenix, a major distributor of imported beers and other beverages, until recently received its product by container ship in New Jersey. The cargo was then trucked to Long Island City for distribution. The company has closed its New Jersey operations and is receiving its cargo at Red Hook’s Pier 7 under an agreement with Red Hook’s stevedore. Receiving its container ships at Red Hook eliminates about 200,000 truck trips a year from New Jersey to New York bridges. The extended lease with NYCEDC will allow Phoenix to develop a full distribution facility at Pier 11, bringing 500 jobs to Red Hook.

Brooklyn Borough President Marty Markowitz said, “This is a long-held dream come true for me — and I commend the NYCEDC and Port Authority’s working together to help bring Phoenix Beverage’s operations to Piers 11 and 7 in Red Hook. Now more than ever, government must find ways to encourage the growth of business and create jobs.�

As for the Howland Hook Marine Terminal in Staten Island, the lease extension allows the Port Authority to maintain long-term strategic control of a container terminal within the port and to make a major capital investment of $110 million.

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