Sunset Park Material Recovery Facility
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| Sunset Park Material Recovery Facility | |
|---|---|
 Interactive map of the Sunset Park Material Recovery Facility area | |
| General information | |
| Status | Operational |
| Type | Recycling facility |
| Location | 472 2nd Avenue Brooklyn, New York, US |
| Coordinates | 40°39′43″N 74°00′32″W / 40.66194°N 74.00889°W |
| Opened | December 2013 |
| Owner | Sims Metal Management (operator) |
| Technical details | |
| Grounds | 11 acres (45,000 m2) |
| Design and construction | |
| Architecture firm | Selldorf Architects |
| Website | |
| www | |
Sunset Park Material Recovery Facility is a recycling facility at the South Brooklyn Marine Terminal in the Sunset Park neighborhood of Brooklyn, New York City, United States. Operated by Sims Municipal Recycling, it was designed by Annabelle Selldorf, and its construction involved the use of a variety of recycled materials. The campus contains several structures, including an education center and New York City's first commercial-scale wind turbine. As of January 2022, it is the largest commingled recycling facility in the United States and the primary recycling center in New York City.
The Material Recovery Facility is operated by Sims Municipal Recycling, part of Sims Metal Management, a large recycling company which holds a 40-year contract with the City of New York.[1] The 11-acre (45,000 m2) property sits on the Sunset Park side of the Gowanus Bay, at the South Brooklyn Marine Terminal.[2]
It was designed by architect Annabelle Selldorf[3] and built on the site of a former New York Police Department impound lot. The pier was raised four feet above what the city would otherwise require to be resilient against rising water levels and harsh weather.[1][4] Consistent with its purpose, it was constructed using many recycled materials. The buildings are raised another four feet above the pier on recycled glass and stone left over from the development of the Second Avenue Subway project, while the structures themselves are largely built with recycled steel.[4][5] The ropes used along the pier are selected to cultivate mussels, and three artificial reefs were installed at the end to help cultivate a habitat to attract marine life and birds.[6] It has its own storm water management system to avoid runoff into the East River.
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The campus includes a tipping building where materials arrive, the main processing building along the southern edge, storage buildings, and an administrative building.[3][7] These structures take up about 140,000 square feet (13,006 m2).[3] The administrative building includes an education center for student and tour groups which includes exhibits explaining how the plant operates.[7] An elevated pedestrian walkway connects the administrative building to the main processing building for public viewing.[3][7] The tipping building's exterior is composed of exposed steel girders and lateral bracing; according to architectural writer Pavel Bendov, this helped the facility "avoid its fate as another box warehouse".[3]
A 160-foot 100 kW small wind turbine sits on the north corner of the property, the first commercial-scale turbine in New York City and the city's tallest as of January 2015.[6][8] It produces about 4% of the facility's power.[6] 30,000 sq ft (2,800 m2) of rooftop solar panels provides another 20% of daily energy.[6]
The total cost of construction totaled $110 million, of which $60 million was subsidized by the city as part of the Bloomberg Administration's PlaNYC 2030 project.[6][2] The plant opened in December 2013. At the time, Michael Kimmelman of the New York Times praised its design, calling it "understated, well proportioned and well planned – elegant, actually, and not just for a garbage site" and suggested good design principles could work to help sell the public on the idea of recycling, which is necessary in order for the facility to succeed.[5] As of January 2022, it is the largest commingled recycling facility in the United States.[4][9][10]
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