Waterfront Redevelopment to Start on Staten Island

The historic Stapleton district is undergoing a conversion that will add residential and retail space and a mile-long waterfront esplanade. Also, New York City outlines new regulations on excavation.

EDC Seeks Developers

The New York City Economic Development Corporation has issued a request for proposals for two large redevelopment sites in the Bronx and Manhattan as well as a “Request for Expressions of Interest” for a third site in Brooklyn.

The first RFP was issued for a six-acre site in East Harlem, combining three parcels located between 2nd and 3rd avenues and East 125th and East 127th streets. The city envisions the site housing up to 300,000 sq. ft. in a “dynamic” complex of retail, residential, restaurant, nightclub, and nonprofit performing and media arts spaces. Responses from bidders to buy and redevelop the site are due Jan. 12.

A local task force, created by the leadership of Manhattan’s Community Board 11 in January 2006, worked closely with the city to create an outline for the RFP to ensure that it meets the board’s broader development goals and creates economic benefits for the community. The city owns 81 percent of the land in the proposed site and will try to acquire the remaining portion.

The second RFP for the Kingsbridge Armory located at the corner of West Kingsbridge Road and Jerome Avenue in the Bronx involves redeveloping a 575,000-sq.-ft. structure with a landmarked façade that is a prime example of 20th Century military architecture.

With responses due last month, the RFP was seeking proposals for a unique destination that would strengthen existing retail and commercial markets without competing directly with them, while also creating permanent jobs and restoring the armory’s historic facade.

Redevelopment Plan Approved for Staten Island

The New York City Council approved a redevelopment plan in late fall for Stapleton, an historic waterfront town on Staten Island. Construction is expected to begin early this year.

Stapleton, known for its pedestrian-friendly urban streetscape and a town center that dates to the early 19th Century, was a major base of operations for the U.S. Army and Navy in World War II. It will undergo its first major change since the site known as Homeport was decommissioned as a naval base in 1995.

The plan to transform the 35-acre site, which includes a 1,410-ft. pier, calls for housing and retail spaces, a sports complex, a farmers market, and a new mile-long waterfront esplanade that will connect to the historic town core. The public improvements are being designed by Wallace, Roberts, and Todd of Philadelphia with the New York City Economic Development Corporation acting as program manager.

N.Y.C. Buildings Department Outlines New Rules

The New York City Department of Buildings adopted a new rule for monitoring excavation and earthwork throughout the five boroughs late last year.

Excavation Rule 52 now requires 24 to 48 hours of notification to the department before any excavation or earthwork begins.

The new rule increases the agency’s enforcement tools by allowing architects, engineers, and inspectors to more effectively monitor excavation work. It is designed to help preserve the safety of neighboring properties and workers on site. 

The rule requires that a site be monitored for compliance in the following areas:

• ensuring an engineer is on site

• excavation depth

• pumping operations

• pile driving operations

• sheeting, shoring, and bracing procedures

• angle of repose, forms bracing, underpinning, and groundwater management plans

• and ensuring that the work conforms to the approved project plans.