Staten Island is welcoming the new year with a series of initiatives aimed at improving public spaces, expanding housing options and enhancing quality of life.

One standout project is Lighthouse Point, a new housing complex towering above the Staten Island Ferry Terminal in St. George. Developed through a public-private partnership between the city’s Economic Development Corporation (NYCEDC) and Triangle Equities, the complex features 115 rental units, 60,000 square feet of retail space, and nearly 300 parking spaces.

“We really see this as, you know, a pioneering, you know, first-of-its-kind apartment building to provide residents of Staten Island and residents of Greater New York City or folks that are moving here from elsewhere. A class A building on an upcoming waterfront area,” said Evan Petracca, chief operating officer of Triangle Equities.

What You Need To Know

  • Staten Island is welcoming the new year with a series of initiatives aimed at improving public spaces, expanding housing options and enhancing quality of life

  • One standout project is Lighthouse Point, a new housing complex towering above the Staten Island Ferry Terminal in St. George

  • The city is also accepting applications to develop an amusement site at the former New York Wheel location

  • The Staten Island District Attorney’s Office has also announced a push to combat retail theft in the borough

The apartments are being offered through a lottery-based system, which closes on Jan. 16. Thirty units are reserved for residents earning 40% to 130% of the area median income, while the remaining units are market rate.

The $400 million development is part of the North Shore Action Plan, a broader effort to reinvent Staten Island’s waterfront. Melissa Roman Burch, Chief Operating Officer of NYCEDC, compared the plan to other successful waterfront revitalizations in New York City.

“You think of other great waterfront neighborhoods in New York, like the Brooklyn Bridge Park, like Hunters Point South in Queens. Those projects were really led with investments in public infrastructure like open space. And what has evolved there is significant private investment in housing and in other urban amenities,” said Burch.

The transformation of Staten Island’s waterfront includes the redevelopment of the Stapleton waterfront, expected to be completed by 2027. The city is also accepting applications to develop an amusement site at the former New York Wheel location.

Improving transit is another focus for Staten Island leaders. Borough President Vito Fossella says his office is prioritizing enhanced express and local bus service, as well as expanded ferry routes.

“We’re always looking for ways to enhance express bus service as well as local,” Fossella said.

Fossella, a vocal critic of congestion pricing set to begin in January, advocates for more high-speed ferry routes.

“We’ve been an advocate for expanding high-speed ferry service between Staten Island and Brooklyn. The initial response was because of COVID. Ridership was down, and there were no new routes. But we—and I know others—have advocated for high-speed ferry between here and Brooklyn,” Fossella said.

However, a spokesperson for NYCEDC said, “While we are not actively pursuing expansion options and new route changes, our continued focus is on making our current service more accessible, equitable, and financially sustainable through the Adams administration’s Ferry Forward plan.”

Public safety is also in the spotlight. The Staten Island District Attorney’s Office has announced a push to combat retail theft. This includes tracking repeated petit larceny offenses to bring grand larceny charges against repeat offenders.