There is a need for local, community owned and operated, food economies that provide opportunities for the full life cycle of goods, from production to waste management. The East New York Industrial Business Zone is a prime location to build and initiate the infrastructure needed for NYC to provide access to healthy foods and economic opportunities for historically underserved populations. In Brooklyn, while there have been studies and articles that reflect the need for a localized food system, a multi-nodal food port based on the principles of food sovereignty and circular urban food systems has not been fully described. This project will provide a deeper formulation in phasing a development trajectory for Universe City NYC to grow into a local economic engine for the people it intends to serve. The focus of this thesis is to analyze existing food governance mechanisms in NYC and illustrate the measured urgency for local economic investment and increased access to fresh, healthy foods, workforce development, agri-tech education, and to local food business incubation in East New York. In partnership with Universe City (UC), utilizing frameworks of Democratic Organizing, Regenerative Economics, and Food Sovereignty, a participatory planning process toward the development of a 10 year plan has been initiated. In creating the participatory process, this thesis defines and articulates steps taken to imbue each phase of strategic development with the needs and dreams of stakeholders towards collective growth.