During the turn of the century, the topic of discussion for many Staten Islanders was over 130 acres of land in the southern portion of the Island. A debate arose, with one side in favor of building of a shopping center and the other in favor of constructing a school, a park, and less retail. In 2002, forty-two of the 130 acres were suggested to be used for the shopping center. By 2005, after having agreed to this, ground was broken by the Blumenfeld Development Group for what would become the Bricktown Centre.
By 2007, the $100 million Bricktown Centre was completed. That same year, it opened in Staten Island to the still-rural neighborhood of Charleston, at 2700-2900 Veterans Road West. Within the shopping center are Bed Bath & Beyond, a retail store that sells domestic items; Christmas Tree Shops, a bargain store whose parent is Bed Bath & Beyond; Home Depot, a retail store dealing with home improvement; Target, a discount retail store; and Applebee's, a restaurant.
In January of 2011, the Charleston Bus Depot opened at 4700 Arthur Kill Road. A few months later, on April 24, 2011, the route of the s74, which departs the St. George Ferry Terminal, was changed so that it would loop around the Bricktown Centre, instead of having customers walk on streets without sidewalks to Arthur Kill Road. In addition, the s78, which travels along Hylan Boulevard from the St. George Ferry Terminal, also had a route change. It, too, now loops around the shopping center to accommodate passengers.
Posted by Anthony Licciardello on
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