NYCEDC Selects Administrators for Brooklyn Cruise Terminal Community Fund and Sunset Park Special Purpose Project Fund
Public Housing Community Fund to Administer Brooklyn Cruise Terminal Community Fund; Brooklyn Org to Administer Sunset Park Special Purpose Project Fund
Funds Will Support Community-Identified Projects in Red Hook and Sunset Park Through Participatory Public Engagement Processes
NEW YORK, NY—New York City Economic Development Corporation (NYCEDC) today announced the selection of two nonprofit fund administrators to manage community-centered funds benefiting Brooklyn waterfront neighborhoods. The Public Housing Community Fund (PHCF) will administer the Brooklyn Cruise Terminal Community Fund (BCTCF), which will support projects in Red Hook, while Brooklyn Org will administer the Sunset Park Special Purpose Project Fund (SPPF), which will support projects in Sunset Park.
The administrators will lead transparent, community-informed processes to solicit project ideas, support local participation, oversee disbursements, and track impact in coordination with NYCEDC, local residents, community stakeholders, and Council Member Alexa Avilés’s office. Together, the funds are designed to reinvest waterfront-generated revenue into community priorities, including public realm improvements, workforce development, environmental stewardship, quality-of-life improvements, and other neighborhood-identified needs.
The Brooklyn Cruise Terminal Community Fund (BCTFC) is supported by a $1-per-passenger contribution from cruise line passengers calling at the Brooklyn Cruise Terminal. The fund is intended to support community-serving initiatives that enhance the well-being of Red Hook residents, with priorities to be shaped through a participatory process that includes listening sessions, surveys, workshops, public meetings, and resident voting.
As administrator, the Public Housing Community Fund (PHCF) will manage due diligence, contracting, compliance, disbursement, reporting, and other fiduciary responsibilities for the BCTCF. In partnership with NYCEDC, the Office of Council Member Alexa Avilés, Cruise NYC, and the selected Community Oversight Board, PHCF will oversee the fair and transparent administration of the fund to support the Red Hook community.
The organization partners with New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA) and community-based organizations across all five boroughs to invest in programs focused on community health, financial empowerment, leadership development, workforce training, open space, arts and culture, and youth programs.
The Sunset Park Special Purpose Project Fund (SPPF) is financed through a five percent set-aside of annual gross rent derived from subleases at the South Brooklyn Marine Terminal, excluding operating expenses and any amounts attributable to PILOTs required of subtenants. The fund will support community-serving initiatives that enhance the well-being of Sunset Park residents, with final priorities determined through a participatory public engagement process.
Brooklyn Org will administer the SPPF Fund in partnership with NYCEDC, Council Member Avilés’s office, and neighborhood residents. Through community conversations, grassroots outreach, and the leadership of a Sunset Park Advisory Council, Brooklyn Org will help ensure that residents are centered in decision-making and that investments reflect local priorities, community strengths, and long-term neighborhood needs.
“These funds represent an important step toward ensuring that the communities closest to our working waterfront assets help shape the investments made in their neighborhoods,” said NYCEDC President & CEO Anthony Shorris. “The Public Housing Community Fund and Brooklyn Org bring deep experience in community engagement, participatory grantmaking, and place-based investment, and we look forward to working with them, Council Member Avilés, and residents to deliver projects that reflect local priorities and create lasting benefits for Red Hook and Sunset Park.”
“Through strong partnerships with the community and the cruise lines, we have an opportunity to make a meaningful investment in Red Hook” said NYCEDC Vice President, Head of NYC's Cruise Portfolio Allison Dees. “We’re excited to partner with the Public Housing Community Fund to ensure local voices are part of the conversation and help guide how these funds can best serve the Red Hook community. This effort reflects our shared commitment to ensuring that the benefits of New York City’s cruise industry extend beyond the terminal and into the communities we call home.”
“The Brooklyn Cruise Terminal Community Fund presents a unique opportunity to democratize how community investments are made by putting the people of Red Hook at the center of the process. At the Public Housing Community Fund, our role is to build the trust and relationships necessary for residents, small businesses, nonprofit organizations, NYCHA residents, and other stakeholders to shape the priorities that will have the greatest impact for their community,” said Public Housing Community Fund Executive Director Alex Zablocki. “Over the coming months, we will lead a transparent, multi-phased engagement process that turns community ideas into actionable proposals and empowers Red Hook residents to vote on how these resources are invested. We are grateful to NYC EDC, Cruise NYC, Council Member Alexa Avilés, and the Red Hook community for entrusting us with this work and helping ensure these investments reflect the priorities, aspirations, and needs of the people who call Red Hook home.”
“Brooklyn Org is thrilled to deepen our work in Sunset Park and to bring our experience building and managing community-steered funds to this important partnership,” said Brooklyn Org President & CEO Dr. Jocelynne Rainey. “We believe the people who know their communities best should have a meaningful voice in deciding how resources are invested. We are grateful to NYCEDC and Council Member Alexa Avilés for their partnership and for trusting Brooklyn Org to help ensure these resources are guided by the voices, priorities, and aspirations of residents. We look forward to listening, learning, and working alongside the community to turn this fund into lasting impact for the neighborhood.”
“Red Hook and Sunset Park have long been home to vital working waterfronts that support jobs, industry, and New York City’s maritime economy,” said Council Member Alexa Avilés. “These community funds are an important reform to ensure city investments generate meaningful benefits for the neighborhoods that sustain them. By putting residents at the center of deciding how these resources are invested, we can strengthen our working waterfront while supporting the priorities and quality of life of the communities that call it home. I’m excited to partner with NYCEDC, the Public Housing Community Fund, Brooklyn Org, and our neighbors in Red Hook and Sunset Park to bring this participatory vision to life.”
The administrators are expected to advance public engagement, establish community oversight and advisory structures, finalize funding priorities, launch project solicitation processes, and provide regular reporting on funded projects and outcomes. First funding opportunities are expected to launch following initial community engagement and priority-setting processes.
The selection of the PHCF and Brooklyn Org builds on NYCEDC’s broader efforts to pair long-term waterfront investments with community benefits, including ongoing work at the Brooklyn Cruise Terminal, Brooklyn Marine Terminal, South Brooklyn Marine Terminal, and other assets that support maritime activity, good jobs, climate resilience, and neighborhood-serving investments.
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.
