Mayor Eric Adams announced the developers for a new mixed-income residential development on New York City's Staten Island.
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00:00Good morning. It is so nice to be on the North Shore of Staten Island. It is always beautiful
00:06when we are out here, Mr. Mayor, and we always have historic announcements to make.
00:11My name is Andrew Kimball. I'm president and CEO of the New York City Economic Development
00:15Corporation. As Mayor Adams always says, it's a five-borow administration, and New York is a
00:21five-borow city, and we have a five-borow economic development strategy. But as this audience knows
00:28all too well, the city's housing and economic development plans long focused on other boroughs
00:33until this administration set out to get it right. About a year and a half ago, we stood alongside
00:39Mayor Adams and Councilmember Hanks at Pier One to launch the Staten Island Action Plan, a once-in-a-generation
00:47investment of $400 million that outlined a vision to complete a near-continuous waterfront esplanade,
00:5420 acres, two miles long, while creating family-sustaining jobs, much-needed affordable
00:59housing, and enormous economic impact for the borough. This is the kind of big, bold vision
01:06that this community has long deserved. And since that announcement, we have got stuff done.
01:12In early 2024, the New York City—the City Parks Department broke ground on the Mary Calley Dalton
01:17Recreation Center down the road. Last September, we broke ground on the new Stapleton waterfront
01:23infrastructure and open space. Right here, you can see it under construction. Along with
01:28DOT, we resumed concessions on the Staten Island Ferry with Dunkin' Donuts taking over. And
01:34at the end of last year, we announced to the developer for the mixed-use site at Hillside
01:38Grove with HPD. In March of this year, we broke ground on the Tompkinsville esplanade construction,
01:45and we'll take a tour of that just after this event. And just this month, we began design on
01:50Pier 1 in the St. George esplanade. And now, we get to check off another big box with this
01:57project right here at Stapleton. Before I turn it over to the mayor, I want to recognize our
02:02local elected leaders, many of whom you'll hear from in a few moments, and thank them
02:06for their tireless advocacy and partnership, particularly Councilmember Hanks, on so many
02:11different projects along the North Shore. And of course, it took a big team to get us
02:18here. I want to recognize our partner agencies, City Planning, Department of Transportation,
02:23Parks, Housing Preservation and Development, the Mayor's Office for Climate and Environmental
02:27Justice, the City's Bravest, FDNY, and our amazing team at EDC. And particularly, Melissa
02:33Roman Birch, our COO, has pulled off yet another amazing development project here in Stapleton.
02:39And with that, I want to turn it over to the leader who pushes us all every day to get it right
02:46and get it done, the get-done Mayor Eric Adams.
02:51Thanks so much, Andrew, and your entire team. We knew when we started out, we were going to need a
02:59marquee player to build a team of development and visions around, and we did just that with Andrew.
03:06Uh, his work along the waterfronts of this entire city from, uh, Brooklyn Navy Yard to, uh, Industry
03:15City. And now he's taken his show on the road and really understood how important it was that we look
03:22at how do we further expand and develop our waterfront. I mean, look at this. Who wouldn't want to live here?
03:28Uh, and, uh, just to see that many of these beautiful locations in our city, they remain dormant for far
03:36too long. And I know many Staten Islanders felt when the wheel project fell, uh, short, uh, they thought the
03:43wheel of the bus of development fell off. But you know what? We came with our own set of tires, and now we're rolling
03:50strong in Staten Island. You are not the forgotten borough. Uh, you are so much part of this five
04:01borough mission that we are on. We know for far too long, uh, you were ignored. And in 2023, when we unveiled,
04:09uh, our Staten Island North Shore Action Plan that invests $400 million to build 24 homes, uh, transform
04:19over 20 acres of public space and create thousands of good paying jobs. All right here in the neighborhood
04:28of Staten Island. A year and a half later, a year and a half later, talking about get stuff done.
04:34We're bringing that vision to life. We held the first groundbreaking on a new Staten Island, uh,
04:42rec center in over 14 years, over 14 years, it is happening. We started construction, as it was
04:49indicated, uh, by Andrew on the, uh, Tompkinsville Esplanade and so many others, just ambitious
04:57projects that we are pushing through. Uh, the team over at EDC is committed and dedicated to the entire
05:04uh, city. And these, uh, these projects that we are witnessing, uh, it is not a Manhattan centered
05:10project projects. It is taking place all over the entire city as his team is leaving their fingerprint
05:18on the progress of this city. With over a quarter of the units reserved as affordable, uh, these are
05:26homes that everyday New Yorkers need and afford with a 1.4 percent vacancy rate. Uh, we have to build
05:33more. We have an inventory issue, not a desire issue. And by bringing more affordable housing to this
05:39neighborhood, we're making sure we have the backs of Staten Islanders and those who want to live here.
05:46And so job well done. If I can just put this final check.
06:03We love the graphics in this administration.
06:07This is not just good for Staten Islanders, but it's good for our entire planet as well as the city. It will be the first,
06:14first publicly awarded project to use mass timber, which you have in front of us right here.
06:21A sustainable material that not only reduces the project's carbon footprint, but builds
06:27these homes quicker too. And by promoting more sustainable construction methods, it feeds right into
06:34our green economy action plan that we rolled out. A plan that will supercharge our rapidly growing
06:40green collar jobs. These are real jobs that not only save the green of our city, but it put green
06:47dollars back in the pockets of the workers and those who are coming through the pipeline
06:51to understand the importance of these jobs.
06:53Good paying jobs and fast growing industries. This is the vision for Staten Island. And it is
07:00our vision for the entire city. We're turning our waterways into the harbor of the future of
07:07something that continuously is being rolled out by EDC and just the vision of Andrew and his entire team.
07:15From the world's largest food distribution center at Hunt Points Market to a state-of-the-art
07:21life science center in Kips Bay.
07:24From cutting edge startups at the Brooklyn Navy Yard to sustainable housing and public space on the
07:30north shore of where we are now in Staten Island. We're strengthening new industries all across our
07:35harbor and setting New Yorkers up for the jobs of the future. And the harbor of the future builds on
07:41our work to connect more New Yorkers to economic opportunities they deserve to jobs that can sustain
07:49them in housing they can afford. When we took office three years ago our housing crisis was at a
07:55breaking point and we knew we had to do something different, something smarter, and something
08:00aggressive. When you look at what Dan has done over city planning and of course what Deputy Mayor
08:10Carrion did at HBD and now has taken his entire initiative in the Deputy Mayor's role.
08:16We were laser focused on building, building, building and for we knew that too many families
08:23were being pushed out of the housing market and too many plots of land across the city
08:27remain empty. That was a terrible combination that we knew we had to get stuff done and started the
08:33process to meet a generation generational housing crisis with historic ambitious ideas and that's
08:39exactly what we did. We turned inaction into initiatives and showed that government businesses
08:47and labor can work together to achieve monumental changes. And I think nothing personifies that more
08:52than the city of yes, the most comprehensive housing plan in the history of the city. It is projected to
09:00produce 130,000 new homes over the next two get decades. And if you let that sink in for a moment,
09:06our neighborhood plans alone projected to create more homes in less than four years, more homes in less
09:14than four years than the previous two administrations combined. In over 20 years we're going to match and
09:24supersede that. There's simply no other way to say this has been a pro-housing, public safety,
09:31pro-family administration. And right here on Staten Island, we are taking another step to cement that
09:37legacy. The new Stapleton waterfront is a critical piece of our efforts to give people the homes they
09:45need because everyone deserves a place to live and to raise their family. Every inch of our city matters.
09:51The administration remembers that the outer boroughs are not forgotten boroughs. They will always
10:01remain part of this administration agenda. So thanks everyone for this amazing, amazing turnout. Let's
10:08continue to build in the city. Thank you very much. Thank you, Mr. Mayor. And as the mayor said,
10:16we've really been laser focused on tackling the city's housing crisis through dynamic collaboration
10:22between City Hall and its agencies. And at the center of that collaboration is someone who's been
10:28doing this work for decades. There's nobody better at it. He led HPD through record years of affordable
10:34housing production. I'm now proud to call him boss, deputy mayor for economic development,
10:39housing and workforce, Adolfo Cario. He's just pretending I work for Andrew.
10:50This place up until now and this administration was a symbol of missed opportunities, repeated misses.
11:03That no longer is the case. I love that sign up there, delivering for Staten Island. That's what
11:11this is about. Yes, it deserves a round of applause. Delivering for Staten Island, every borough. Mr. Mayor,
11:19thank you for your leadership, for your five borough vision, for understanding that every part of the city is
11:26the center of the city. Every person is the center of the city. Every family, every neighborhood, every church,
11:34every business. It is the center. We often talk about the central business district. We often talk about,
11:40you know, the outer boroughs. There are no outer boroughs. This is one city and one family, New York City.
11:46So I want to thank all our partners, Andrew's leadership, Melissa and the team, Council Member Hanks,
12:00and her insistence that we continue to pay attention to this part of the city. Unbeatable views. I mean,
12:07you can't beat this. Amazing. And I want to congratulate the development team that is going to execute on this
12:16project. Artemis NYC and Phoenix Realty Group mark another milestone for Staten Island's North Shore. And
12:25why this project matters is because this is more than just a housing announcement. This is a blueprint
12:31for how we build equitably, sustainably, and strategically across all of New York City. Over 500 new homes,
12:40as the mayor said, including 125 affordable units for working families. This project is
12:49a premier example of how we're turning underused city land into productive community-serving spaces that
12:56prioritize mixed income housing, public space, and long-term resilience. And to say something about
13:06innovation and sustainability, what makes this project especially exciting is that it will be the
13:12largest residential mass timber development in New York City, and one of the largest, yes,
13:21and one of the largest in the country. Mass timber is not just about a bold design choice. It's a
13:31climate conscious choice. It helps us build faster, cleaner, and with a lower carbon footprint.
13:40As you can see right here in front of us, we have an example of what this mass timber
13:47beam looks like. This building material is strong, like one made from concrete or steel,
13:54but lighter in weight, lower in embodied carbon, constructed faster, and has unique architectural
14:03beauty, as you can see. This is exactly the kind of innovation we need as we grow our green economy.
14:12And in terms of economic and community impact, as we deliver on the Staten Island North Shore Action Plan,
14:19we're also advancing the goals of the Green Economy Action Plan, creating jobs, expanding opportunity,
14:28and building climate-resilient neighborhoods right from the ground up.
14:34The new Stapleton Waterfront isn't just about buildings, and we know that. It's about people.
14:42It's about families. With over 2,000 homes planned, a new school, 12 acres of open space and community
14:50amenities, we're building a neighborhood, not just a development. So today's announcement shows what's
14:56possible when government leads with vision, and when we work hand-in-hand with communities in the
15:02private sector to get big things done. Staten Island's future is being built right now, and it's greener,
15:12it's more inclusive, and it's full of promise. I want to thank everyone involved in this important
15:19visionary work. This is a once-in-a-generation opportunity to transform this beautiful space
15:26in New York City. Congratulations. Thank you so much, Deputy Mayor. You know, it is very hard to get
15:35big projects done in New York City, but it is even harder when you don't have great partnership on the
15:42ground with the local council member. And the reason you are seeing so much getting done on the North
15:48Shore right now is not just because we have a mayor who wants to deliver, but because we have a council
15:53member who understands that the way great cities grow and stay great is by building, and building
16:00at all levels of affordability. We need to create housing of every kind. It means bringing people
16:06back to the waterfront and having great public realm that will stimulate investment in nearby
16:13neighborhoods, and you see that happening already on the North Shore. So it's my great pleasure to
16:18introduce Councilmember Camilla Hanks. Good morning, everyone. My name is Camilla Hanks, and I am the
16:29council member of this district. Before I get into my prepared, you know, comments, we have to give it up
16:40for our mayor who shared this vision, and we wouldn't be here without him.
16:49And then I want to recognize the folks that are behind me, like Bobby Digi, like Mark Murphy,
16:58Massimo and his wife, Daya. The folks that are behind me, we've seen this movie before,
17:08and this is the first time we had an alternate ending. 20 years. I was speaking to the developer,
17:18Artemis, and he goes, well, you probably are too young to remember this. And I said, no, sir,
17:25I am 52 years old, and I remember everything. And the fact that we are here today,
17:33ribbon-cutting after ribbon-cutting is a testament to partnership, and it is a testament to not giving
17:42up, that we do have the best views in the country. And now, the economic development insurgence of
17:52housing and commercial, and the fact that this is going to be the largest mass timber
18:00development is incredible. EDC, give it up for Andrew Kimball.
18:08Because I'm telling you,
18:12I'm not easy.
18:13I'm not easy. No, I'm not easy. But this is a culmination of 20 years. It took 20 years for
18:22this overnight success. We have been here, the folks behind me that I just mentioned,
18:27and the folks in front of me, like Peter Lisi, like Lillian Legazzo. How many times have we been here?
18:33Mall, wheel, all of that. And never seeing a groundbreaking. But under this mayor, we've seen
18:39four. So you have to clap again.
18:45And it's a milestone. I grew up right around the corner from here. I used to fish with my father,
18:51right on these piers. And it's not just 20 years of defunct. It's been 150 years
18:58that Staten Island has not gotten its due. And we want to do our part when it comes to addressing
19:04the housing crisis. And we have done that with this administration. We have done that with EDC.
19:10And we have done that with the people in front of me and behind me. Thank you so much.
19:14Thank you so much, Council Member. Now, to accelerate the adoption of sustainable
19:26construction in New York City, in 2023, we launched something called the Mass Timber Studio.
19:31Many of our program partners are here today. Woodworks, Maki J, FDNY, DOB, and AIA. This game-changing
19:39initiative is an excellent example of the powerful role government can play in scaling clean construction
19:45in New York City, therefore creating new industries, jobs, and using sustainable materials like mass timber
19:51as the building block of the future. I'm proud to share that the developers of this new mixed income
19:56housing project will receive the support of the Mass Timber Studio as they head into this great
20:04development. I would now like to welcome up Momo Sun with Woodworks to share a few words.
20:09Hey, Momo.
20:14Good morning, everyone. What an exciting day to be here. My name is Momo Sun. I'm a regional director
20:21with Woodworks. And on behalf of Woodworks, I am thrilled to be here today to celebrate this milestone
20:27for New York City and for the future of sustainable construction. For those of you that may not know,
20:34Woodworks is a non-profit organization that provides free technical support, education,
20:40resources to help project teams design and build with wood. Now, the Stapleton development is more
20:47than just the project. It is a bold step towards a more sustainable, innovative, and community-driven future.
20:56This, as we've heard, will be the largest mass timber residential project development in New York City,
21:03and one of the largest in the U.S. to bring affordable housing, and it is truly setting a new standard.
21:11And this is also the first publicly awarded project that encourages the use of mass timber in the Northeast.
21:20Now, this is a big deal. Mass timber, what is it? So mass timber is a family of engineered products
21:29that includes glue lamps, that's the one we have in front of us, used for posts and beams, and CLT,
21:36cross laminated timber, which we have on the side. And they come in huge pieces, even larger than this,
21:42right? And they're similar to heavy timber. So mass timber offers a wide range of benefits from
21:50dramatically reducing embodied carbon, to streamlining construction timelines with prefabrication,
21:58to creating warm, beautiful spaces where people truly want to live and gather.
22:05It's the kind of forward thinking that our cities need. Now, the Stapleton development will be
22:12participating in EDC's mass timber studio, as we just said, which is in its second year now in 2025.
22:19And at Woodworks, we're thrilled to be providing technical assistance again.
22:24Now, this is a big moment for New York City, and a big moment for mass timber. And we believe this is
22:30just the beginning. We cannot wait to continue advancing more mass timber projects just like this,
22:38and continue to work with EDC and the city. Thank you.
22:45Thank you so much, Momo. And yes, indeed, today is a huge day for Staten Island, the city and the green
22:50economy. We're grateful for all of you being here. And we'd be delighted to take any on-topic questions.
22:56Mayor, the council member talked about how we've been here before, the wheel, the ball, the things that were promised on
23:06and in land like this. What assurances do you have for Staten Islanders and New Yorkers that this time
23:13is not just the ribbon cutting, but that this will actually lead to the housing?
23:18I think that when you look at this administration, probably our trademark is our ability to land the
23:27plane. And if you want to sort of get an indicator of our ability, not only to do the ribbon cutting,
23:36but actually get the projects done, go to Willis Point. Willis Point, for decades upon decades,
23:44Valley of the Ashes, only thing that was there was Shea Stadium, and no one thought it was possible.
23:51And now you see, from the day that we announced the union jobs, 2,400 units of housing, a soccer
23:58stadium that's being built on private dollars, a new school, a park. And you're not just seeing
24:06artists' drawings, you're seeing buildings going up. And so you can just continuously watch how many of
24:13these projects, I mean, you know, everyone is saying it, these projects have laid dormant. No one had the
24:18ability to bring people to the table and say, let's get it built. We have done it over and over and over again,
24:26and we're going to do it here. These are great opportunities, and when I speak with either Adafo or Andrew,
24:34I'm very clear. Don't come back and tell me how it can't be done. Come back and tell me how it's going to be done.
24:42And that's what we've done.
24:44You had another big project, which is the Brooklyn Wind Farm, which now looks like it might be
24:50at risk because of the federal approvals there. Is that 1,000 jobs that are now at stake?
24:57Great project, 1,000 jobs, I think is 500,000 homes could receive the energy from that.
25:05It's part of our overall plan to develop the Brooklyn Marine Terminal housing,
25:13part of our harbor of the future. When I was in D.C., I shared that with the president,
25:19and we are going to continue to push forward and try to get this over the finish line.
25:26The governor is engaged, and we're in continuing conversation. This is a huge,
25:31huge project that we would like to see get finished. And so when you have, you know,
25:37sometimes different ideas on how to use these spaces, you have to just continue to sit down
25:42and communicate to get it done. Our goal is to get this over the finish line. Next, I was on the phone this
25:46morning as we were driving in continuously to push to get this over the finish line. We want to get it done.
25:53This is a huge win for this region, and we want to get it finished.
26:05Okay. Thank you. Good job. Good job.