Top Ten Projects That Will Transform Staten Island

Previously mentioned, our Borough President wants to make Staten Island a tourist destination. With prices going up around the city, developers are finding themselves eying sights on Staten Island. Currently, Staten Island’s North Shore is undergoing a massive transformation with the arrival of the world’s tallest observation wheel - The New York Wheel, the city’s first outlet mall - Empire Outlets, and hundreds of new apartments, including the already open Urby in Stapleton.  

However, the North Shore is not the only part of Staten Island undergoing changes and updates. From tourist attractions to huge residential projects, these developments will shape Staten Island’s future!

1. New York Wheel and Empire Outlet Mall: Despite the delay in construction, once these projects are finished in the St. George area, it will be one of the tallest observation wheels in the world and the first outlet mall in New York City! The wheel will be 630-feet tall and will be able to sit 1,440 people at a time. The wheel will be next to the Staten Island Ferry Terminal and be accompanied by a 10,000-square-foot playground, an outdoor beer garden, and a five-acre green roof that will host concerts and events. Right next to the wheel will be the Empire Outlet Mall, bringing in 100 retail stores, a 190-room hotel, and plenty of new restaurants to Staten Island. Besides the 12,000-square-foot food court, there will also be a 3,000-square-foot outdoor space.
2. Staten Island Urby: This was one of the most high-profile projects that have debuted on Staten Island. Urby is a mini-neighborhood within the Stapleton community. The enormous rental has amenities, such as a 5,000-foot urban garden, restaurants, a coffee shop, and a swimming pool. And that is only the first phase! The second phase will bring an additional 330 apartments! Keep your eye out for open spots!
3. Lighthouse Point: Being built on the same scale as Urby, Lighthouse Point will bring an office building, a 116-unit apartment building, and a Westin Hotel. This will all be located in the area that was once for the U.S. Lighthouse Service Depot in St. George. Construction is already underway and the project is expected to be done in 2019.
4. Minthorne Street: There is a massive warehouse on Minthorne Street in Tompkinsville that is set to be converted into a barbecue joint. Through this conversion, it will also create room for more shops. Currently, it is the home to the Flagship Brewery. The developer plans to spruce up the Victory Boulevard and Bay Street side of the property, transforming the area into the newest hot spot on Staten Island!
5. 125 Edgewater Street: A development firm, V Capital Management, is planning a residential project that could feature about 400 apartments. The apartments will be spread out amongst three buildings over 18 acres of land. Twenty percent of the apartments will be affordable and there were be 60,000-square feet for a public waterfront esplanade overlooking the New York Harbor. Additionally, there will be 25,000-square feet for retail space, a gym, rooftop garden, and recreational space.
6. 80 Scarboro Avenue: There were plans that were filed at the beginning of this year for a 72-unit building in Rosebank. The building will only be three-stories tall and the apartments will measure at 980 square feet on an average. Along with the apartments, there will also be a 69-car garage and 16-car parking lot.
7. Mount Manresa Jesuit Retreat Redevelopment: Despite the community protest, the Savo brothers decided to redevelop the Mount Manresa Jesuit Retreat into a 250-unit townhouse project.
8. New York City Farm Colony and Seaview hospital: The abandoned and neglected campuses of the farm colony and Seaview Hospital are in development to be restored. Ther Farm colony will become a 344 condo community for New Yorkers that are 55 and older. The area will include a 17-acre landscape for outdoor space. The city also announced that it will take the neglected hospital campus at Seaview and transform it into a mixed-use, health focused development. The city is looking for a developer to create the campus with housing, farm-to-table restaurants, community farms, and landscape areas that promote physical activity.
9. Freshkills Park: The land was once the world’s largest landfill. Now the massive site in Staten Island will be transformed into a 2,200-acre park, being three times the size of Central Park, making it the largest park in New York City! The development of the park will be broken up into multiple phases until fully completed in 2030. There are several sections that are open now, including a playground, ball field, and bike track. When fully completed, the park will feature five sections and provide renewable energy.
10. Conference House Park: Located at the southern tip, at the complete opposite end of Staten Island from the New York Wheel and Empire Outlet, is Conference House Park. This project has been in the works for years now; the construction on the park pavilion is finally expected to begin sometime this year! Once completed, it will include a 4,200 square foot space for concerts, events, and weddings. The area has a historical history that dates back thousands of years before the Europeans arrived, then later being the unsuccessful Staten Island Peace Conference held on September 11th, 1776.

Which project are you most excited for? Share thoughts in the comments below or join our conversation on Facebook!

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