New BK Opens Waterfront Ferry Terminal in Front of AI Tower

PROGRESS HEIGHTS, NEW BK — October 1, 2026 — New BK's waterfront expansion has officially reached the stage where simply having a waterfront is no longer sufficient.

Construction has begun on a new 435-block ferry terminal in Progress Heights, occupying a roughly 25-by-17-block site directly in front of AI Tower, where Anthropic maintains its New BK presence.

The terminal substantially enlarges the developed waterfront and pushes the Downtown New BK urban core farther east into Progress Heights, a neighborhood that only began emerging through major infill development in 2024.

City planners described the terminal as a major transportation investment.

Residents described it as "a giant concrete rectangle in front of Anthropic."

Both statements appear to be correct.

The new facility sits immediately along the waterfront with AI Tower looming behind it, creating what officials are calling a new gateway into Progress Heights. Ferry passengers arriving from across the water will now step off directly beneath one of New BK's most recognizable office buildings rather than wandering around looking for a road and eventually realizing they are in New BK.AI Tower, built in 2023, has become one of the neighborhood's defining structures. Its placement behind the terminal is expected to transform what had previously been a somewhat quiet waterfront edge into a much more active commercial and transportation district.Anthropic has not publicly objected to thousands of hypothetical ferry passengers being deposited directly outside its office.

Yet.

The terminal also continues a broader shift in New BK development. Downtown New BK has traditionally carried much of the district's commercial and civic activity, while Progress Heights developed later as a newer waterfront neighborhood. The ferry terminal now physically pulls the two areas closer together, extending the established downtown fabric toward AI Tower and the surrounding waterfront.

It also adds yet another major transportation project to a borough that has recently received Atlantic Terminal, ongoing subway improvements, new housing, commercial construction and major redevelopment.

Man A officials are reportedly watching New BK receive another infrastructure project while staring silently out of City Hall windows.

One anonymous Man A resident summarized the situation:"We got RGB lights."

The terminal remains under construction, but its enormous footprint is already clearly visible from across the water.Real-estate interests are expected to welcome the project, particularly in Progress Heights, where direct ferry access could increase foot traffic and make surrounding waterfront parcels considerably more desirable.

Some longtime residents, however, have questioned whether every empty patch of waterfront must eventually become expensive.

City planners declined to answer, presumably because they were busy measuring the next empty patch of waterfront.