Conceptual rendering of the future St. George Esplanade. Credit: FXCollaborative
Staten Island North Shore Action Plan” Outlines Vision for Approximately $400 Million Investment in Vibrant, Mixed-Use Waterfront Community, Estimated to Generate Nearly $4 Billion in Economic Impact
Goals Include Expanding Waterfront Access, Accelerating Housing Creation, Reimagining and Redeveloping Key Sites, and Prioritizing Local Hiring and Career Pathways
Delivers on Major Commitment from Mayor Adams’ “Working People’s Agenda
New York City Mayor Eric Adams, New York City Economic Development Corporation (NYCEDC) President and CEO Andrew Kimball, and New York City Councilmember Kamillah Hanks today recommitted to prioritizing the future of Staten Island’s North Shore by unveiling the “Staten Island North Shore Action Plan: Building a Vibrant, Mixed-Use Waterfront Community.” The four-year roadmap delivers on calls from the local community for a clear and unified vision for the North Shore and emerges from months of collaboration between the NYCEDC, Councilmember Hanks, and numerous city agencies and community partners.
Building on a generational city investment of approximately $400 million, the plan details strategic investments to the North Shore of Staten Island that will unlock 20 acres of public open space, create over 7,500 family-sustaining jobs, generate an estimated economic impact of $3.8 billion, and accelerate the completion of over 2,400 units of housing. The plan delivers on a major component of Mayor Adams’ “Working People’s Agenda,” released in January 2023, which launched community engagement on a North Shore community engagement process with the goals of building new housing, expanding waterfront access and flood resiliency, creating job opportunities, and fostering mixed-use development.
“For too long, our economic development plans have focused on Manhattan and slices of Brooklyn and Queens — but New York is a five-borough city,” said Mayor Adams. “Our plan for the North Shore executes on a once-in-a-generation investment of more than $400 million to bring homes, a school, jobs, open space, waterfront access, and flood resiliency to Staten Island — but, more importantly, it offers more breaks to hard-working New Yorkers who have historically faced long commutes and fewer economic opportunities. We’re grateful to Councilmember Hanks for her invaluable leadership in helping us shape this plan and invest in a neighborhood where New Yorkers can truly live and thrive.”
Additional core components of the Staten Island North Shore Action Plan include:
Redeveloping and Reopening Pier 1: Originally built for marine transportation and partially closed since 2017, NYCEDC plans to reactivate Pier 1 for public waterfront access and is currently working with local elected officials to secure additional funding to complete the project.
A New Request for Proposals for the Bank Street Site: At the site of the former New York Wheel project, NYCEDC plans to release a new request for proposals later this year to solicit plans to activate the terminal building with year-round programming and events, along with new waterfront open space.
A Request for Proposals for the New Stapleton Waterfront Site: The first six-acre phase of open space opened in 2016, advance the ongoing transformation of a 35-acre former U.S. Navy base into a campus with public open space, more than 2,000 mixed-income homes, new community facilities, and a 600-seat public school. NYCEDC will issue a new development request for proposals for the site’s southern phase in fall 2023 and plans to conclude its open space development in 2027.
Restoring Public Access at the St. George Esplanade: Alongside the Bank Street site, NYCEDC plans to restore public waterfront access to this three-acre stretch that has been closed to the public in recent years and which faced severe weather damage.
Lighthouse Point and Staten Island Urby: NYCEDC will work to accelerate completion of these two existing housing projects.
Construction will resume in the fall of 2023 on this $400 million public investment, focusing on executing the long-promised, two-mile waterfront esplanade, stretching from Stapleton to Tompkinsville to St. George — creating 20 acres of continuous waterfront access. The plan will also fully unlock the potential of the 2019 Bay Street rezoning, the 2008 St. George rezoning, and the 2006 Stapleton Waterfront rezoning.
These public investments, including 20 acres of waterfront open space, 2,400 homes on city-owned land, and 600 new New York City Department of Education K-8 school seats are anticipated to leverage significant additional privately developed homes and commercial space. Building on NYCEDC’s work with local schools and community groups in the offshore wind industry, NYCEDC and its partners will connect development in the action plan with local job placement and career pathway opportunities on Staten Island’s North Shore.
The action plan pledges ongoing work with Mayor Adams, Councilmember Hanks, and existing private sector partners to ensure past commitments are delivered on, while also highlighting the unique development opportunities on Staten Island’s North Shore to new private sector partners. At Empire Outlets, for example, NYCEDC will support efforts to create a more dynamic retail experience. NYCEDC will also support capital upgrades and a new brewpub and dining experience at the Staten Island University Hospital Community Park.
In addition to detailing public investment on the North Shore, the action plan includes initiatives to leverage public investment to support private development, continue supporting arts and culture on the North Shore, and facilitate partnerships between NYCEDC and private stakeholders to prioritize economic mobility and job opportunities for the local community.
About NYCEDC
New York City Economic Development Corporation is a mission-driven, nonprofit organization that works for a vibrant, inclusive, and globally competitive economy for all New Yorkers. We take a comprehensive approach, through four main strategies: strengthen confidence in NYC as a great place to do business; grow innovative sectors with a focus on equity; build neighborhoods as places to live, learn, work, and play; and deliver sustainable infrastructure for communities and the city’s future economy. To learn more about what we do, visit us on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and Instagram.
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