NYC Council releases 'downtown' Staten Island plan, with a dash of Jersey envy

Key Points:

• The City Council unveiled the North Shore NYC plan to build over 5,000 apartments on Staten Island's North Shore, aiming to create a vibrant downtown area with housing, shopping, dining, and outdoor spaces near the Staten Island Ferry.
• Councilmember Kamillah Hanks emphasized modeling the development after successful post-industrial waterfront transformations in New Jersey cities like Jersey City and Hoboken, addressing the local housing crisis and competition with neighboring states.
• The plan proposes rezoning to allow taller buildings up to 14 stories, increasing housing options on underutilized commercial and manufacturing-zoned land, particularly in Tompkinsville, Stapleton, and St. George.
• Staten Island's North Shore currently has a much lower population density compared to similar-sized New Jersey waterfront communities, with a vacancy rate for apartments dropping significantly from 8.4% in 2019 to 4.4% in 2024, highlighting increasing housing demand.
• The development includes plans for a large mixed-use project on a city-owned lot on Castleton Avenue and aims to revitalize other key areas with housing and commercial growth to create a true downtown Staten Island.