WEST SHORE BROWNFIELD OPPORTUNITY AREA FINAL REVITALIZATION PLAN Nomination Report February 2018 Prepared for Lead Consultant Funded by Staten Island Economic Greener by Design LLC The New York Department of State Development Corporation (SIEDC) Brownfield Opportunity Area (BOA) Program 1 Acknowledgments Staten Island Economic Development Corporation (SIEDC) Cesar J. Claro, Steven Grillo BOA Steering Committee/ West Shore iBID Board Fred DiGiovanni, Jeff Hennick , John DiFazio, Ram Cherukuri, John Hogan, Stew Mann, T.J. Moore, Michael Palladino, Michael Clark, John Wambold, Mayor Bill de Blasio, New York City Department of Small Business Services, New York City Comptroller Scott M Stringer, Borough President James S. Oddo, Senator Andrew Lanza, Assemblyman Mike Cusick, Council Member Steven Matteo, Community Board 2 Consultant Team Greener by Design LLC WSP | Parsons Brinckerhoff eDesign Dynamic Crauderueff & Associates Funded by The New York State Department of State Brownfield Opportunity Area (BOA) Program This report was prepared for Staten Island Economic Development Corporation (SIEDC) and the New York State Department of State with state funds provided through the Brownfield Opportunity Area Program. 2 West Shore Brownfield Opportunity Area Revitalization Plan Contents EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 6 SECTION 1. PROJECT DESCRIPTION AND BOUNDARY 10 Lead Project Sponsor 10 Project Overview and Description 10 BOA Boundary Description and Justification 12 Community Vision and Goals 12 SECTION 2. COMMUNITY PARTICIPATION PLAN AND TECHNIQUES TO ENLIST PARTNERS 14 Community Participation 14 Techniques to Enlist Partners 14 SECTION 3. ANALYSIS OF THE PROPOSED BOA 21 Community and Regional Setting 21 Inventory and Analysis 24 Economic and Market Analysis 56 Key Findings and Recommendations 63 Summary of Analysis, Findings, and Recommendations 99 APPENDIX 102 BOA Properties 103 Survey Questions 106 ADDENDUM 110 3 List of Figures Figure 1. Recommendation concepts diagram 9 Figure 2. Community Context Map 10 Figure 6. Project Timeline 15 Figure 5. Assemblyman Mike Cusick making announcement of BOA study 15 Figure 8. Beth Zall presenting at stakeholder meeting 16 Figure 7. Map and Tell Exercise 16 Figure 10. Screenshot of Interview with John DiFazio 17 Figure 9. Screenshot of Interview with Fred DiGiovanni 17 Figure 11. West Shore BOA Table at the Green & Clean Festival 19 Figure 12. Steve Grillo presenting at stakeholder presentation 20 Figure 13. Planning areas layers diagrams 22 Figure 15. M2-1 and M3-1 Bulk Diagrams 26 Figure 17. First Draft of Strategic Sites Map 28 Figure 22. View of SI Sportmen’s Club from Bloomfield Avenue 33 Figure 21. SI Sportmen’s Club Basemap 33 Figure 24. View of the ADCO Backlot from Bloomfield Avenue 34 Figure 23. ADCO Backlot Basemap 34 Figure 26. View of the Hogan Asphalt site 35 Figure 25. Hogan Asphalt Basemap 35 Figure 28. 501 Backlot 36 Figure 27. River Road Basemap 36 Figure 30. WWC Waterfront 37 Figure 29. WWC Waterfront Basemap 37 Figure 32. View of Spencer Street Assemblage from South Avenue 38 Figure 31. Spencer Street Assemblage Basemap 38 Figure 34. View of the 250 Meredith site from Meredith Street 39 Figure 33. 250 Meredith site basemap 39 Figure 36. Saw Mill Creek 42 Figure 37. Meredith Woods 42 Figure 40. West Shore Plaza 44 Figure 39. ADCO Building 44 Figure 41. Indoor Extreme Spots Building 44 Figure 44. Photo of United States Shipping Boat tied up from Spencer Ave in 1937 (Source: New York Public Library) 46 Figure 43. Homes on Meredith Ave in 1937 (Source: New York Public Library) 46 Figure 46. South Avenue entrance to the BOA 48 Figure 48. Edward Curry entrance to the BOA 48 Figure 47. Staten Island Rapid Transit 48 Figure 50. Flooding on Bloomfield venueA 50 Figure 51. Street conditions on Spencer Street 50 Figure 53. Saw Mill Creek Marsh Restoration 52 Figure 54. Saw Mill Creek Marsh Restoration 52 Figure 55. River Road Site 52 Figure 59. Comparative Change in Median Income Between Detroit Transit Region and a number of BRT Regions 58 Figure 60. Recommendation concepts diagram 63 Figure 61. Strategic Sites map 64 Figure 63. SI Sportmen’s Club will be underwater with 5 ft of sea level rise 65 Figure 62. Faztec Industries is interested in expanding 65 4 West Shore Brownfield Opportunity Area Revitalization Plan Figure 64. NRG Headquarters – Princeton, NJ 66 Figure 65. Aerofarms– Newark, NJ 66 Figure 66. Aerial View of Bayshore Recycling 67 Figure 67. Glenway Distribution in Cranbury, New Jersey 67 Figure 68. Example Fabric Structure 68 Figure 69. Matrix Site 68 Figure 70. Examples of modernized docks 69 Figure 71. The Science Barge is an example of what could be docked at WWC Waterfront 69 Figure 72. Conceptual site design for Spencer Street Assemblage 70 Figure 73. 600 Gulf Ave 70 Figure 74. Woodbridge Energy Center and Eco-Wetland Park 71 Figure 75. Rendering of SI Sportsmen’s Club at 250 Meredith 71 Figure 78. Existing Truck Routes 72 Figure 76. Cross-section of Edward Curry Avenue shows tree plantings, curb edges, welcome signage and street lighting along the roadway 72 Figure 77. Cross-section of Gulf Avenue shows unmarked roadway conditions (view looking southbound) 72 Figure 79. Existing Road Elevation and Status 73 Figure 80. Flooding on Bloomfield veA 73 Figure 81. Proposed truck circulation 74 Figure 82. Proposed truck route 75 Figure 83. Aerial of Industry Road and Vanbro Drive 76 Figure 84. Photo of Industry Road 77 Figure 85. Photo of Vanbro Road 77 Figure 86. Proposed Gulf Avenue 2 Way Conversion 78 Figure 87. Proposed truck circulation 79 Figure 88. Example of Solar Lighting 80 Figure 89. Sidewalk and Curb typologies 80 Figure 90. Existing Signage typologies in the BOA and iBID 81 Figure 91. Proposed transit service map 83 Figure 92. Typical Flooding Conditions at 200 Bloomfield Ave. January 2016 84 Figure 93. Bloomfield Ave Future Flood Levels 85 Figure 94. Rendering of propose raised Chelsea Road 86 Figure 96. Bloomfield Bluebelt 87 Figure 95. Rendering of Chelsea Bridge Removed 87 Figure 97. Resiliency District - Option 1 89 Figure 98. Resiliency District - Option 2 91 Figure 99. Resiliency District - Option 3 93 Figure 100. Future Matrix Site 96 Figure 101. ReVenture Park Map 100 5 Island (Census Tract 291.02). The study is being led by EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Staten Island Economic Development Corporation (SIEDC), a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, with its mission to enhance Community and Project Overview Staten Island’s economy by promoting public and private investment and encouraging responsible and sustainable Post Hurricane Sandy, the SIEDC and its members were development. SIEDC has been responsible for over $500 faced with many challenges related to the environment, the million in new investment, the creation of over 3,500 jobs, economy and the changing rules and regulations related to and the development of over 1,000 acres of vacant industrial redevelopment and economic opportunities. A re-visioning of land by providing assistance to developers and companies the landscape was necessary in order to create a plan that implementing projects in the borough, while at the same could help define what the West Shore of Staten Island’s time serving the smallest entrepreneur and small business future could look like. owner with tailored financing, procurement, and real estate assistance. The West Shore has long been overlooked by the region’s business community as a potential area for revitalization In November 2015, SIEDC commissioned Greener by Design and growth. The lack of investment, the influx of competing LLC to lead a multidisciplinary group of planning, design, industrial centers, and the decline of maritime industry on environment and economic consultants for this project. Staten Island have obscured the area’s unique strengths and Funded by the New York State Department of State’s assets. Today, the emergence of niche industries and creative Brownfield Opportunity Area Program, this study considered manufacturing methods are drawing attention back to the the area as key development for industrial, manufacturing, West Shore’s development opportunities and highlighting logistics, and potential urban agricultural businesses. SIEDC its potential as a node for cutting-edge, high-tech, and green has worked for the past five years to develop a West Shore businesses. New transportation options, the availability of Green Zone concept for the entire Arthur Kill corridor and the land, the abundance of skilled labor and the growth of various investment in and revitalization of the BOA area are critical for industries such as medical/healthcare, logistics and resiliency effective overall economic development to Staten Island. As preparedness have opened up a new opportunity for the West part of the larger Green Zone project, the primary community Shore’s land owners and businesses. By emphasizing its revitalization objectives to be achieved by this project include unique position and by leveraging its physical and economic Green technology development, Green manufacturing, and assets, advocates of the West Shore can reinvent the area as education partnerships to promote Green development, a hub for business-friendly forward-thinking, environmentally wetlands protection, brownfield remediation and activating conscious industries. vacant or under-utilized parcels. Anticipated community benefits resulting from this project include enhancing and The West Shore of Staten Island is one of the most educating local companies related to Green economy, undervalued assets in New York City, collectively representing providing incentives for efficiency retrofits and advanced one of the largest collections of underdeveloped area and energy technologies, providing support and guidance to manufacturing zoned land throughout the City. While several companies seeking financial incentives for Green investment, success stories have occurred on the West Shore, there is an providing Green collar job retraining, enhancing community even greater opportunity for expansion of economic activity. and educational partnerships, and creating renewable thermal An analysis of other successful industrial areas throughout and electric energy.