Built by American Export Lines, the terminal was purchased in 1973 by the New York City for $47.5 million. In 1985, the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey leased the terminal from the City for a period of 38 years. The Port Authority currently contracts with New York Container Terminal, Inc. to operate a container terminal on the site. The original facility is 187 acres (757,000 m²) in size, but it is undergoing expansion with the acquisition in 2001 of the adjacent 124 acre (502,000 m²) Port Ivory, a former shipping port operated by Procter & Gamble.
The terminal operates a long wharf on the Arthur Kill, with three berths for container ships. The wharf depth is 45 feet (13.8 meters) for 1,200 feet, 41 feet (12.5 meters) for 1,100 feet, 35 feet (10.7 meters) for 700 feet. Facilities include container storage, deep-freeze, refrigeration and United States Customs Service inspection.