Construction on Pier 11 began in 1956. According to this newspaper article the three berth pier was estimated to cost nearly 7 million dollars. The project resulted in the demolition of thirteen Civil War era warehouses in the area.

Text of Article: 

Brooklyn Daily Eagle, July 16 1956.

 Start $7,000,000 Improvement of Brooklyn Waterfront Today.

 The Port of New York Authority will begin construction at 8 o'clock this morning of the $7,000,000 three berth Pier 11 along the eastern shore of Atlantic Basin, the first new pier in the $85,000,000 Brooklyn-Port Authority pier development program, according to an announcement by Chairman Donald V. Lowe

 The new pier is expected to be ready for operation on April 1, 1958.

The demolition of thirteen Civil War era warehouses in the Fulton Area of the

two-mile waterfront improvement ha s been under way since June 5.

 A single-story cargo building, 1,800 feet long and lib feet wide, will provide 270,000 square feet of covered space, and a 25-footwide wharf apron will service the pier.

 In addition, a truck loading platform the entire length of the land side off the building to handle up to 144 trucks at one time.

 Longest Facility

 Pier 11 would provide 2,100 feet of marginal berthing space and will be the longest facility to berth vessels In the New York City waterfront.

 It will have a shedded area almost as big as five football fields, and will handle more trucks simultaneously than any other pier in New York City. Its size will be exceeded in the bi-state harbor only by the 2400 foot long, four-berth Norton, Lilly terminal under construction by the Port Authority at Port Newark.

 Demolish 3 Piers

 Construction of Pier 11 requires demolition of Piers 34, 25 and 36 in AtlanticBasin.

Only Piers 35 and 36 closest to the quay will have to be removed at this time.

 The area now occupied by Pier 34, farther offshore, will not be required until late in 1957.

 Adjustments in pier occupancy are being arranged with steamship lines using these piers to assure the least possible disruption to businesses, consistent with the improvement construction schedule.

 Work on the new pier will begin under a $3,472,413 contract awarded to the low bidder, Fehlhaber Corporation of 217 East 49th Street, New York, for the substructure of the 2,100 foot long by 270 foot wide quay-type structure.

 To Dredge

 The contract also calls, for dredging, placement of fill, and the construction of a sheet pile bulkhead to form the face of the wharf.

 The pier superstructure will be built under a contract to be awarded at a later date.

 Under the Brooklyn-Port Authority plan, 25 of the 26 existing obsolete piers, from 36 to 65 years old, will be replaced with 10 single-story, wide, steel, and concrete structures fully fire resistant and fire protected.

 One of the existing piers in the AtlanticBasin will be completely rehabilitated.  Altogether there will be 25 efficient vessel berths to replace the 44 berths that exist at the present time.

 Handle Big Load

 The new Brooklyn-Port Authority facilities will be capable of handling about a fourth of the port's present load of foreign trade general cargo.

 This compares with 17 per cent of such trade handled at the existing piers today.

 It is expected that employment and payroll will go up about 10 per cent at the new facilities.

 There at present an estimated 2,500 to 3,000 people working in this dock area at an estimated annual income of $10,500,000.

 The construction payroll is estimated at $5,000,000 a year over the seven-year period.

 The steamship companies alone will save at least $5,000,000 a year in operating costs at the new and improved piers and slips.

 An additional million dollars a year will be saved through the elimination of truck traffic delay on the Brooklyn Streets adjacent to the piers.

  

Image caption:

Close-up of reconstructed AtlanticBasin. On right is three-berth quay (Pier 11), 2,100 feet long by 270 feet wide with shed 1,800 feet long by 150 feet wide. This will be the first of the great waterfront structures to be provided in the Port Authority's seven-year master plan. At left (North end of Basin) is a new 700-foot-long by 320- foot-wide pier, (Pier 10). At left (Southwest end of Basin) is an existing pier. (Pier 12) 900 feet long by 170 feet wide to be completely improved and modernized. The vessel entrance to the Basin will be widened from 300 feet to 600 feet. In foreground is a new, single story 400-foot-long by 280-foot wide warehouse to provide 112,000 square feet of storage space.