New Homes Coming to Staten Island as North Shore Revamp Is Unveiled

Often maligned as New York City’s “forgotten borough,” Staten Island is about to get some much-needed attention.

Over the last five months, the New York City Economic Development Corporation (NYCEDC) and Councilmember Kamillah Hanks, along with other elected officials, have engaged Staten Islanders in an effort to learn what the borough’s North Shore residents would like to see near Empire Outlets and the site of the canceled New York Wheel. 

On Wednesday, they announced a $400 million investment in a two-mile segment of Staten Island’s North Shore aimed at transforming the waterfront area around the St. George Ferry Terminal into a vibrant, mixed-used community with additional housing, employment and retail options. 

“Staten Islanders told us they want housing, community space, and a waterfront they can actually use, and today we’re responding with a road map shaped by their voices,” Adolfo Carrión Jr., New York’s deputy mayor for housing, economic development and workforce, said in a statement announcing the new plan. “Together, we are setting the stage for a vibrant and connected community that supports families and strengthens the North Shore for generations to come.”

The city expects to deliver 2,400 new homes for a mix of income ranges, over 20 acres of public space, and more retail that will bring 7,500 new jobs and an estimated $3.8 billion into the local economy over the next 30 years, according to the NYCEDC. 

The New York Wheel, announced by former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg in September 2012, was intended to become the world’s largest observation wheel, meant to bring much-needed tourism dollars to a part of the city that is rarely on the typical tourist’s agenda. Plans for the wheel were officially scrapped in 2018.

Empire Outlets was intended to complement the Wheel, but the shopping center never brought in the tourism dollars the city had anticipated from its first-ever outlet mall. Since its opening, several of the retailers closed, including Nordstrom Rack, and the outlet entered foreclosure in 2022. It was sold to Goldman Sachs for $10 million in 2023.

Now, city officials are focusing on development that will be more meaningful to Staten Island residents. 

“Today’s announcement is a step forward for Staten Island’s North Shore,” U.S. Rep. Nicole Malliotakis said in the statement announcing the plan. “The plan for new homes — including more affordable options — along with expanded public space, neighborhood retail, and community facilities will help improve quality of life and address long-standing needs for families who call the North Shore home.”

Amanda Schiavo can be reached at aschiavo@commercialobserver.com.