DCP and NYCEDC Release 20-Year Vision Plan for Staten Island’s North Shore

NEW YORK, Dec. 15 -- The New York City Economic Development Corp. issued the following news release:

New York City Department of City Planning (DCP) and New York City Economic Development Corporation (NYCEDC) today released the North Shore 2030 report, a twenty-year vision for Staten Island'sNorth Shore. North Shore 2030 defines clear priorities for public and private actions that seek to create quality jobs, reconnect people with the working waterfront through increased public access, strengthen existing neighborhoods by supporting and creating neighborhood centers and improve mobility for residents and businesses. The report is the culmination of an extensive, two-year, public engagement process that included significant input from over 200 community members including local residents, stakeholders, civic partners and elected officials, during six public open houses, workshops, and focus group meetings. City Planning Commissioner Amanda M. Burden said, "The North Shore 2030 report builds on the unique assets of Staten Island'sNorth Shore to promote job creation, strengthen communities, increase mobility and expand public waterfront access, an important goal of Vision 2020: New York City's Comprehensive Waterfront Plan. This report, which was created with extensive community input, will guide future land use decisions tied to infrastructure improvements and, most importantly, provide predictability for North Shore residents about the future of their neighborhoods. City Planning is looking forward to moving ahead on the many land use related recommendations that we believe will help kickstart investment in the North Shore."

"Through both short-term actions and long-term planning, this report represents an important step forward in shaping future public and private investment along Staten Island'sNorth Shore," said New York City Economic Development Corporation President Seth W. Pinsky. "Our twenty year vision begins today, with projects underway from St. George to Mariners Harbor which will lead to good jobs, increased economic investment, and additional public open space for the residents of Staten Island."

"The North Shore 2030 Report provides a clear vision for job creation, increased waterfront access, and strengthening our neighborhoods on the North Shore over the next 20 years," said Borough President James P. Molinaro. "I look forward to working with City Planning and EDC to obtain the infrastructure to facilitate the North Shore 2030 plan."

"The North Shore 2030 Plan offers us a promising look into the future of our North Shore," said Councilmember Debi Rose. "The plan capitalizes on our strengths - our unique position in New York Harbor - by opening access to the working waterfront, by revitalizing our once booming neighborhood centers, by increasing transportation options and in turn, spurring real economic growth that's so desperately needed in our communities. I applaud members of the community who participated in this public process along with NYCEDC and the Department of City Planning for their foresight and vision."

"The North Shore waterfront is quickly becoming the "in" place to be," said Community Board 1 Chairman, Leticia Remauro. "Our coastline contains a diverse mixture of residential, commercial, retail, transportation and industrial uses, so it was important to us that the City create a plan that will blend these varying interests and insure that every plot of land is used to its maximum potential. We believe that the North Shore Waterfront Study achieves that goal."

"The Tug and Barge Committee strongly supports the findings of the North Shore Study. We applaud EDC and City Planning for thoughtfully addressing the workboat industry's needs and providing opportunities for growth of maritime jobs on Staten Island," said Captain Eric Johansson, Executive Director of the Maritime Association Tug & Barge Committee.

The North Shore 2030 report resulted from a recommendation of Mayor Bloomberg's Staten Island Growth Management Task Force to craft coordinated plans for the borough that link land use visions to necessary infrastructure improvements. This final report--which encompasses a five square mile area from St. George to Howland Hook and extending one mile inland to Forest Avenue--will serve to inform future land use and investment decisions, ensure coordination between local and regional partners, and provide predictability for future development.

North Shore 2030 aims to unlock the North Shore's potential through four strategies:

* Promoting quality jobs and workplaces that strengthen maritime and industrial businesses, expand waterfront business opportunities, and connect local residents with more diverse employment opportunities.

* Reconnecting people with the working waterfront through increased public access, new views of the working waterfront and supporting Community Board 1's efforts to designate a continuous multipurpose pathway along Richmond Terrace.

* Supporting and creating neighborhood centers through more local retail, services, and housing options for North Shore residents and visitors.

* Improving connections and mobility for residents and businesses through targeted and coordinated intersection and transportation improvements.

* North Shore 2030 focuses the application of these strategies through 85 recommendations targeted in six opportunity areas: St. George, New Brighton, West Brighton, Port Richmond, Mariners Harbor--Arlington, and Jersey Street. The report includes an overview of each area's existing conditions, a 2030 vision for each area, and specific strategies for realizing the vision.

In addition to the North Shore 2030 report, the companion North Shore Action Agenda outlines 51 short-term initiatives that are intended, along with private investment, to jumpstart the vision. The action agenda includes initiatives such as:

The establishment of the Industrial Business Zone (IBZ) program and Significant Maritime and Industrial areas (SMIA) designation from the City's Waterfront Revitalization program, which will help promote the creation and retention of quality jobs on the waterfront. Continued coordination with local stakeholders and private development community to determine necessary infrastructure investments and feasible development plans for the Ferry and Ballpark parking lots in St. George. NYCEDC already issued an RFEI for these sites, and is currently reviewing responses. Seeking funding to develop new public access area at Richmond Terrace Wetlands in Mariners Harbor. The North Shore is home to 179,000 residents, and is twice as dense as the rest of Staten Island. Historically, the maritime industry--currently employing 2,200 people with an average salary of $51,000--has played a significant role in shaping the area's character, with the Kill Van Kull remaining a major channel for regional commerce and a hub for the region's maritime support services.

The North Shore 2030 report compliments other comprehensive planning efforts such as the Waterfront Vision and Enhancement Strategy, and Working West Shore 2030. Launched in May 2011, the Waterfront Vision and Enhancement Strategy is a sustainable blueprint for New York City's waterfront and waterways. To reconnect New Yorkers and visitors to the water and reclaim New York City's standing as a premier waterfront city, the plan will transform the City's waterfront with new parks, new industrial activities and new housing, and it will capitalize on the City's waterways to promote water-borne transportation, recreation, maritime activity and natural habitats. The plan has two components: a three-year action agenda comprised of 130 funded projects, including the development of more than 50 acres of new waterfront parks, creation of 14 new waterfront esplanades and introduction of new commuter ferry service; and Vision 2020: New York City Comprehensive Waterfront Plan, a framework for the City's 520 miles of shoreline for the next decade and beyond. The 130 action agenda projects are expected to create 13,000 construction jobs and at least 3,400 permanent maritime and industrial jobs. It is the first citywide plan for the waterfront in nearly two decades and the first ever comprehensive plan for the waterways themselves.

DCP and NYCEDC recently released Working West Shore 2030, which established a comprehensive framework to encourage job creation, infrastructure improvements, and managing growth on the West Shore. Working West Shore 2030 has already served as a framework for job producing development projects in Charleston and Rossville.

To view a copy of the report and action agenda go to www.nycedc.com/northshore.

Department of City Planning

The Department of City Planning (DCP) promotes strategic growth, transit-oriented development, and sustainable communities in the City, in part by initiating comprehensive, consensus-based planning and zoning changes for individual neighborhoods and business districts, as well as establishing policies and zoning regulations applicable citywide. It supports the City Planning Commission and each year reviews more than 500 land use applications for actions such as zoning changes and disposition of City property. The Department assists both government agencies and the public by providing policy analysis and technical assistance relating to housing, transportation, community facilities, demography, waterfront and public space.

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