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   PortSide vision and plan
PortSide is creating a maritime hub and cultural space in Atlantic Basin, Red Hook, after five  years of delivering out-of-the-box educational, community-based, and cultural programming in various locations.

PortSide was launched to engage with and help shape a major movement of our time, the planning of NYC’s waterfront. Our mission is create better use of what we call the BlueSpace, the water, NYC’s overlooked sixth borough. All our programs relate to the water in some way.

We work with and support the working waterfront. Our visionary act of alchemy is to turn the working waterfront into a cultural and educational amenity and a community-enriching partner. We also create public space and public access. We will leverage boat landings at Pier 11 in creative ways: interpreted they become educational, choreographed they become events and festivals. They generate revenue. We relate them to workforce development and youth programs. In sum, we marry culture, infrastructure and economic development.  

In preparation to moving into Atlantic Basin, PortSide is reviewing and updating our original business plan. Major items under review include the following. A phased roll-out plan is expected:

Vessel Related Activity

  • Visiting historic, charter and excursion vessels
  • Truckstop for workboats
  • ferry service landing
  • PortSide harbor tours

H2O Arts Cultural programs

  • Talks, readings, movies, performances with a water theme
  • WaterStories, NYC's first maritime heritage trail, to be located in Red Hook.
  • Maritime interpretive center (exhibits about contemporary water-related issues)

Social Service

  • youth programs (Flotsam Project & small boat building)
  • Marine Career Center Classroom
  • Waterfront advocacy  

The Center will also house:

  • Museum bookstore
  • Simple cafe/canteen
  • Event rental space

Our signature asset, the tanker Mary A. Whalen, will sometimes be away depending on her visits to other communities.

PortSide NewYork's maritime center will create an active waterspace, a year-round attraction that will provide an economic boost to Red Hook, B-to-B services to the marine industry, programs for the landside community, and a unique place where the public can come in contact with, and learn about, the working waterfront. 

Atlantic Basin is Port Authority property, leased to the EDC. Our plans need to be approved by both EDC and Port Authority and need to accommodate the major activities on site, the cruise terminal and Phoenix Beverage's importing and distribution facility.

PortSide Space Design   

The two renderings below from our 2007 Atlantic Basin RFP response show what we'd like to do.

 

   See our activities Slide show

   Event photos from summer 2010

  Videos of what we do

  Programs

 
   

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  

 

 

 

 

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Red_Hook%2C_Brooklyn