A Staten Island Multifamily How-To Guide for New York Developers

Often the punchline in jokes about New York City, Staten Island, which is the birthplace of “Saturday Night Live” stars Colin Jost and Pete Davidson, as well as All American Girls Professional Baseball League player Gloria Cordes Elliott, has the potential to be a hub of multifamily development similar to what’s been happening in other parts of the city. 

Though not considered as sexy as Manhattan and Brooklyn, the borough offers plenty of vacant property — there is 5.4 million square feet of land being actively marketed for sale in Staten Island, according to data from CoStar — that could be developed into high-quality multifamily housing rented at both market and affordable rates. 

There have been moves toward building more housing on Staten Island: the launch of the 115-unit Lighthouse Point in St. George after a decade of delays, the plan to rehabilitate more than 1,000 affordable units in an eight-building complex in the Clifton neighborhood, and the city’s recently announced North Shore revamp that could add 2,400 homes. 

In November 2025, development firm BFC Partners opened the Pearl, a 100 percent affordable housing property at 475 Bay Street in Staten Island’s Stapleton neighborhood. The Pearl was the first project to open under the Bay Street Corridor Neighborhood Plan, a city initiative to provide community residents with affordable housing, job opportunities and public spaces, and to help support local and small businesses. 

Still, despite these programs, multifamily development simply isn’t happening on Staten Island at the same rate as in other boroughs. 

Indeed, at the end of 2024 only 1,238 units were in the housing pipeline for Staten Island compared to 40,247 units in Brooklyn, 22,924 units in Queens, 17,551 units in Manhattan and 14,894 units in the Bronx, according to the 2025 housing supply report from the New York City Rent Guidelines Board.

Furthermore, as of this winter, there were 2,302 units in the pre-development stage in Staten Island compared to 13,984 units in Brooklyn, 12,155 units in Queens, 10,350 units in the Bronx, and 8,333 units in Manhattan, according to the latest housing development pipeline report from the Real Estate Board of New York. By the end of the third quarter of 2025, there were just 1,229 units completed in Staten Island, compared to Brooklyn, which had the most completed at 26,563 units. 

“Staten Island is probably the most perfect place in the world because you’re 20 or 40 minutes away from the largest city in the country, but at the same time it’s like being in New England,” said Stuart Saft, a real estate lawyer with Holland & Knight. “I’ve realized that in all the development I have done in my career — and there have been some massive projects in the Bronx and Queens — no one has ever come to me with a project in Staten Island.” 

The borough’s zoning doesn’t help.

“I’ve been to Staten Island, and it’s a magnificent place to be,” Saft said. “The problem is that the zoning on Staten Island makes it virtually impossible to build multifamily housing. And I don’t think it’s an accident. I think it was the intention of the local elected officials. And I can’t say whether it happened 40 years ago or 20 years ago, but the local elected officials want to keep Staten Island single-family homes, manicured lawns and protected space.” 

Staten Island’s zoning has, indeed, historically favored the building of single-family homes, as large swaths of the island are dominated by low-density zoning districts. These districts allow for the building of only one-family or two-family homes. What’s more, rezoning initiatives that took place between 1987 and 2003 sharply reduced the areas of the island where townhouses and apartments could be built. 

Another issue that Staten Island has had going against it has been its lack of connectivity to the other boroughs, particularly Manhattan — the beating heart of the city, where work, culture and life all come together in a cornucopia of eager, over-
caffinated speed walkers dodging tourists in an effort to just get to work.

Until recently, Staten Islanders’ only direct link to Manhattan was the Staten Island Ferry, a free service operated by the New York City Department of Transportation. Now there are more options, including a paid ferry with stops in Manhattan’s Battery Park City and Midtown West. There is also a new ferry route connecting Staten Island to Bay Ridge, Brooklyn, and all three ferry options depart from the North Shore’s St. George Ferry terminal. (A Staten Island commuter could also theoretically drive or take the bus over the 62-year-old Verrazzano Narrows to Brooklyn, but then it’s a slow slog across the East River to Manhattan.)

Now that Staten Island is becoming more connected to the rest of the city, renters looking for more affordable options might actually start to consider what some call New York City’s Forgotten Borough. The rent differences between Manhattan and Staten Island are staggering. As of November 2025, the average rental price in Manhattan was $5,686 per month, according to data from appraiser Miller Samuel. The average rental price in Brooklyn for the same month was $4,269 per month. 

Meanwhile, Staten Island apartment building Urby, on the North Shore waterfront at 7 Navy Pier Court, has a one-bedroom apartment that will be available in February for $2,339 per month. The Windsor in Manhattan, which is also a waterfront property, currently has a studio available for $6,000 per month. 

Bottom line: The average rental price for Staten Island as of the fourth quarter of 2025 was $1,909, according to CoStar data. You do the math. 

For multifamily developers looking to capitalize on such differences, the borough’s northern edge, near the ferry terminals and the Verrazzano’s on-ramps, would be the place to start. There’s proof of that. 

Before the North Shore revamp plan was announced in late November 2025, the New York City Economic Development Corporation (NYCEDC) and elected officials such as Councilmember Kamillah Hanks, whose district covers the North Shore, surveyed area residents to get an idea of what they wanted to see. 

“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., then New York’s deputy mayor for housing, economic development and workforce, said in a statement announcing the North Shore revamp. “Together, we are setting the stage for a vibrant and connected community that supports families and strengthens the North Shore for generations to come.”

That’s the North Shore. Views of multifamily development start to change the farther into New England … er… Staten Island one travels.

In November, SILive.com reported that developer Christopher Stout decided to scrap a multifamily project that would have brought five homes to the site of a single-family home at Uncas Avenue on the South Shore. The decision to forgo the project was the result of community opposition. Surrounding residents told the local news outlet they felt such a project would “diminish” the area and “the value and quality of our life.” 

“After reviewing community feedback on the proposed townhouse project, we decided not to move forward at this time,” Stout told SILive. “While we stand behind the quality and integrity of our developments, we also make it a priority to invest in areas where our work is a clear fit for the neighborhood.”

The pullback underscores the appeal of the North Shore for multifamily construction.

“The North Shore has a lot of the ingredients that can support that kind of development,” said Evan Petracca, chief operating officer for Triangle Equities, the developer behind Lighthouse Point. “There’s a small area in terms of relative size of the island that makes sense for this type of development, and that’s mostly related to accessibility.” 

That relatively small area does leave an advantage on the drafting board. 

“One of the great things about Staten Island’s potential for multifamily development is that any development that will happen will be modern,” Petracca said. “So new multifamily construction that’s built will have the renter of today in mind — so highly connected and amenitized buildings.”

Lighthouse Point offers its tenants some of the same luxury amenities that have become table stakes in many Manhattan multifamily residences. There is a waterfront esplanade, a fitness center, and a sunset lounge for relaxation, socialization or coworking that offers stunning views of the rest of the city.

“It’s really incredible because you’ve got the entire waterfront in front of you,” Petracca continued. “I think it is the best view in New York City.”

And the surrounding neighborhood can be its own amenity. 

Just a 12-minute walk from Lighthouse Point is the restaurant Nonnas of the World, which inspired the 2025 Netflix movie starring Vince Vaughn about an eatery that hires only grandmothers to come in on a rotating schedule and cook their own authentic recipes. 

A shorter five-minute walk will take Lighthouse Point residents to the Empire Outlets shopping plaza that features a variety of retail shops, including Gap Factory, Banana Republic Factory and Jewelers on Fifth. The shopping center is also home to eateries such as Japanese restaurant Sakura, fast-food favorites Shake Shack and Nathan’s, as well as a Starbucks and an assortment of food trucks. 

Next to the Empire Outlets — which has had its fair share of struggles over the years — is Staten Island University Hospital Community Park, home to minor league baseball team the FerryHawks, and which also serves as an events venue. On a nice day, residents can hop on a bike and pedal 10 minutes to the Snug Harbor Cultural Center, which features events, museums, borough heritage sites and the famed Eggers Ice Cream Parlor. 

“What makes Staten Island special is a combination of the views and the cultural amenities,” Petracca said. “What we’re really looking forward to is the continued investment from New York City.” 

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