Governor Hochul: “The channels that run between Staten Island, New Jersey and Brooklyn were once called the “Fingers of the World,” by critic and New York native Alfred Kazin. He said it's the gateway to the rest of the world for which most of their commerce flows. And you know what? We want to keep it that way.”
Hochul: “I look at this opportunity to make sure that we are positioned to be able to… create those good paying jobs to support and lift up Staten Island families... This helps our entire region. It helps our nation, helps our national security, and helps our ports really continue to be great contributors to our economy.”
Earlier today, Governor Kathy Hochul and the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey announced a substantial new investment to expand and upgrade the Howland Hook Marine Terminal on Staten Island, creating more than 300 jobs and preserving this site as a key economic generator for Staten Island. The projected investment of $200-$300 million – the largest in the facility’s history – was secured through an amended lease agreement between the Port Authority and the facility’s new operator, global shipping and logistics company CMA CGM. The lease, now running through 2047, will bring capacity enhancements, infrastructure improvements, and sustainability upgrades, allowing the facility to further build on its rich maritime history, as well as its legacy of economic development and substantial job opportunities for Staten Island.
VIDEO of the event is available on YouTube here and in TV quality (h.264, mp4) format here.
AUDIO of the event is available here.
PHOTOS of the event will be available on the Governor's Flickr page.
A rush transcript of the Governor's remarks is available below:
Good afternoon. Today we're celebrating and announcing a historic investment by CMA CGM, estimated at $200 to $300 million to modernize and expand the port facilities at Howland Hook in Staten Island. This action solidifies the preeminence of this port, a port we all know well. It ensures its longevity and will create hundreds of good paying union jobs on Staten Island.
It also establishes, and this is my declaration but I'm going to say it anyhow, this is the preeminent leading Atlantic coast port outperforming the West coast ports any day. So as this port changes hands, the lease changes hands, it creates a new opportunity for us to really just reimagine the possibilities.
Instead of keeping the status quo, why don't we think about what we can do next? And for the first time under my direction with the Port Authority and working closely with Governor Phil Murphy, the Port Authority – and Rick Cotton, I thank you – has been extremely engaged to ensure that the outcomes of this deal would not just guarantee Holland Hook's long-term viability, but also adapt to the needs of today.
How we can take this opportunity and do something differently. In my opinion, every company, no matter what industry, has the ability to help drive societal change through its actions. That's why, for example, this plan, this opportunity will have a 30 percent MWB goal. Participation of MWBs in these projects, 30 percent. That's what we're striving for, that's what we asked for, and the answer was yes.
That's why we also fought for commitment to reach net zero carbon emissions by 2050. Again, asking this company and this opportunity to engage with us in protecting our planet. So, I want to acknowledge the people who had the vision to drive these changes and to work closely together and make this new chapter a reality.
And again, I get back to Rick Cotton, an extraordinary leader of the New York, New Jersey Port Authority. We're in New York right now, right? I can say what I want. Rick, thank you. Thank you for seeing the opportunity here. Thank you for bringing it home. And again, this just goes in that long list of Rick Cotton accomplishments that we're so proud. Let's give him a round of applause, Rick Cotton.
Peter Levesque, President and CEO of CMA CGM Americas. We agree on a lot of things except our football teams, but well, that's another topic. But thank you for having the vision, helping stabilize this important asset. Something we're really proud of in New York, something I, as Governor, take very seriously of what you're doing here. I don't take it for granted, so I say thank you. Let's give Peter a round of applause as well.
Vito Fossella, it's always good to have a Borough President on your side as well, and I want to thank him for his work to help us create more jobs on Staten Island and all the work that we're going to continue doing together. And also, our Senator Jessica Scarcella-Spanton. I was just out on Staten Island with you not long ago. And thank you both for really bringing home the issues that are important to us. And all of us as a state, but making sure that we deliver for Staten Island, which is really important to me.
All the union members of the International Longshoremen's Association. I'm really proud to work with them. I had uncles who were Irish longshoremen up in Buffalo, so I know how hard the work is, but how gratifying it is as well.
I know we have Mike Cusick here, the President and CEO of the Staten Island EDC. I want to thank Mike for his service to our state and to Staten Island. And I remember being a brand-new Lieutenant Governor and he made sure I knew every corner and all the issues of Staten Island. And we said this will never be the forgotten borough, not while I'm Governor or even Lieutenant Governor at the time.
So, Mike, thank you for your service as well. And is Linda here too? Linda Baran. I want to thank her for being the President and CEO of the Staten Island Chamber of Commerce. We've done a lot of good announcements together. A lot of good things happening, DRI and other projects that we're real proud of. So, thank you, Linda, for your stewardship.
And all of the members of the Staten Island community who helped make this happen, because we always have known, since the very beginning, that New York's position as a significant harbor is why it's an economic engine. Each new investment in the harbor really does help propel the city forward and Staten Island has long been that place that welcomed our ships from the rest of the world.
And the channels that run between Staten Island, New Jersey and Brooklyn were once called the “Fingers of the World,” by critic and New York native Alfred Kazin. He said it's the gateway to the rest of the world for which most of their commerce flows. And you know what? We want to keep it that way. I don't want to just talk about the past and talk about the history. We know the glorious history. But don't always assume that'll be the future. That's why this decision and this agreement we're announcing here today cements that future. And we want to make sure that this harbor remains full of ships and cargo flowing from our warehouses and out to America. And I hail from a place at the other end of the Erie Canal.
But the Erie Canal started in 1820 by a visionary, sometimes called “Crazy Governor,” DeWitt Clinton, and in fact, Thomas Jefferson was so appalled with the audacity of his idea, he said, “We're not giving you any federal money.” Comment on that today, but he said, “We got to lock that guy up. He's so crazy to think that you can dig a ditch and connect this little village of New York City to the Great Lakes,” but yet, it was accomplished. And when that happened New York City just sailed ahead of all the other communities, all the other ports that thought they had a chance. Nothing could compete with New York City once that occurred. And it was the busiest port of all these coast ports combined.
And so, that's where we are today. And so, when Peter and his team acquired Global Containers U.S. assets, including operations at Howland Hook, you came to us, to the Port Authority for Poole, we welcome this. We welcome this opportunity. And again, thank you for making these significant investments. We don’t get investments 200 to 300 million dollars every day of the week, and that'll help boost their capacity by 50 percent over the next seven years. And when you think about all the jobs created, I mentioned 300 union jobs, 80 permanent jobs on site, as well as hiring locally, that's really important to us. We also think – we all talk about supply chains during the pandemic. And what a world that was, and we waited for the container ships to come from across the world, bringing sometimes lifesaving supplies, and masks, and garments, and all the PPE we needed, as well as – everybody realized you could buy whatever you wanted online, because they weren't able to go into the stores at a time when there were shutdowns and a lot of fear.
And that really shifted very rapidly to this online world where people were ordering supplies and literally everything from across the world. Well, they don't get it. They're not dropped here. You don't buy a sofa from across the planet and have it dropped by a drone. It comes on a ship. Comes on a ship. So, we really put tremendous pressure on our ports during that time. And you all remember the images on the West Coast of container ships just sitting there, gridlocked in the water, a sight we had never seen before. It was staggering. And knowing that automobiles were not being manufactured, other jobs were being affected throughout our economy because the ports could not handle the capacity.
And so, I look at this opportunity to make sure that we are positioned to be able to handle such circumstances in the future, and also to create those good paying jobs to support and lift up Staten Island families. It's really important to me. So, we also know we can welcome some really big ships here. A couple of years ago, I was out there with the Sandy Hook pilots, and believe it or not, they actually let me steer a little while. I love to boat by the way. I could not wait to go out there and I saw the largest container ship to enter New York Harbor at the time, the Marco Polo. I mean, I guess it was the length of this. I don't know how many football fields it is, but it was amazing. It was so impressive. It's like the Empire State Building on its side., that's how big it was.
And so, we think about those opportunities. I think they're great. I want to do more. I want to go big. And this company, by continuing to commit to build capacity all the way through the year 2042, why are we stopping there, Peter? Keep going, keep going. Based on milestones negotiated with the Port Authority, I think we're going to see a lot more ships come here. And they know they can get through with ease, and they have the best and the brightest people working to make it happen with ease as well.
So, this helps our entire region. It helps our nation, helps our national security, and helps our ports really continue to be great contributors to our economy. So, we'll no longer have the situation we saw in the past. We're positioned to embrace the future. And again, I want to just make sure that everyone knows how important this is to me personally. I love the water. I love ports. I love harbors. And I love creating jobs, especially for all of our friends and constituents on Staten Island. So, with that, I want to welcome and thank again, Peter Levesque, the President and CEO of CMA CGM Americas. Thank you, Peter.