October 13, 2021

Renderings by Secchi Smith

Press Office: hpdmedia@hpd.nyc.gov

New development incorporates resilient design, connects residents to the waterfront, and promotes community health.

NEW YORK – The New York City Department of Housing Preservation and Development (HPD) today announced the selection of a development team for the Stapleton Site A RFP. Monadnock, Sisters of Charity Housing Development Corporation (SCHDC), and The Master Group will transform a City-owned site in Stapleton on the North Shore of Staten Island into 100% affordable housing. The mixed-use development is anticipated to bring 360 new affordable homes, an all-inclusive health and social program for seniors operated by ArchCare, a new medical space for Richmond University Medical Center, and a counseling center for the YMCA of Staten Island. More than half of the homes will serve extremely and very low-income households, including 54 homes reserved for formerly homeless households.

“As a part of the Bay Street Corridor Neighborhood Plan, we worked closely with residents and EDC to envision new, high quality affordable housing that integrates resilient design, critical green space, and other neighborhood amenities,” said HPD Commissioner Louise Carroll. “This development team put together a strong proposal to meet needs identified by the community, pairing more than 300 affordable homes with community facility space focused on improving health outcomes for the neighborhood.”

“Staten Island is one step closer to realizing the full vision of the Stapleton Waterfront,” said NYC EDC President & CEO Rachel Loeb. “For years, we have worked with our City, elected, and community partners to transform the former 35-acre U.S. Navy Homeport into a walkable, diverse, and resilient community. This development plan will add much-needed affordable housing and healthcare uses to an area that will soon include 12 acres of public open space and a bicycle-and-pedestrian connection to the St. George Ferry Terminal.”

“Through the Bay Street Corridor Neighborhood Plan, we planned for and committed to a more affordable, resilient and vibrant North Shore of Staten Island. This next phase of development along the Stapleton waterfront is an example of promises kept, giving all New Yorkers an opportunity to join this growing community and to access the waterfront while also being protected from the impacts of climate change. It’s another wonderful example of our work towards a more equitable city for all,” said Department of City Planning Director Anita Laremont.

"Building affordable housing in the North Shore has been one of my top priorities during my three terms on the City Council. The 360 new affordable apartments that are anticipated with this project are desperately needed, as are the 54 units reserved for previously homeless households. What also makes this development noteworthy is the inclusion of a health center for seniors, space for Richmond University Medical Center and a counseling center for the local YMCA. This project exemplifies the envisioned future of the Bay Street Corridor: a thriving waterfront community of affordable housing, recreational amenities and a neighborhood school," said Council Member Debi Rose.

Resilient Design Connected to the Waterfront

This project takes a comprehensive and integrated approach to addressing multiple climate hazards, including sea level rise, increasing precipitation, and increasing temperatures through resilient design. The innovative design also creates a strong sense of place by connecting residents and the community to the waterfront, a key goal that participants identified in the City’s community engagement sessions. The site plan and landscape design work together to address flood risks from potential coastal surge storms, and extreme precipitation. Design components include:

• Thoughtfully placed building entrances that decrease the need for deployable flood barriers.
• Sloped lawn and landscape areas that direct stormwater into a series of bioswales, channels designed to absorb or carry runoff from heavy rain and reduce the load on the sewer system.
• Dynamic, undulating, and reflective street walls to enhance pedestrian experience and create a sense of place, while also connecting the site to the waterfront.
• Plus, significant landscaped areas to promote good health and active lifestyles, including a walking path on the rooftop, which also contains a solar array and rooftop farm for residents.

The Development Team

HPD is committed to increasing opportunities for and strengthening the capacity of Minority- and Women-Owned Business Enterprises (M/WBE) and non-profit developers. For projects on City-owned land, development teams must include an M/WBE or non-profit that will hold at least 25% of the managing ownership and financial interest in the project. Monadnock Development has a history of partnering with local developers and non-profits to complete large-scale projects successfully. Sisters of Charity is a Staten Island-based non-profit senior and supportive housing developer, operator, and service provider. The Master Group is a team of housing designers and developers passionate about improving communities in Staten Island, and Bernheimer Architects and Starr Whitehouse are the architects lending their expertise on resilient architecture and vibrant landscaping to the project.

“We are grateful to HPD and the City of New York for selecting our proposal to help bring the New Stapleton Waterfront to life,” said Nick Lembo, Founder and Managing Member of Monadnock Development. “We also want to thank our partners at SCHDC and the Master Group for their vision and collaboration. We look forward to working together to create resilient affordable housing and community facilities that will serve New Yorkers of all ages.”

“Since its inception in 1987, the Sisters of Charity Housing Development Corporation has been committed to the construction of quality, affordable housing on Staten Island and beyond,” said Matthew T. Janeczko, Executive Director and CEO of SCHDC.  “Along with its public and private partners, SCHDC looks forward to the construction of the Stapleton project, which will forever transform the northern shore of Staten Island and cements SCHDC’s commitment to mission-driven, value-added housing for the local community.  SCHDC is particularly grateful to Council Member Debi Rose, the Department of Housing Preservation and Development, and the many other city leaders and partners for their interest and support of this vital project.”

“HPD has long set the standard for innovative ideas and creativity in the affordable housing arena,” said Robert Kelly, Founder and Owner of the Master Group. “This project is a testament to the skill and ingenuity of its creators and the Master Group is delighted to be a part of an incredible team to help realize this exciting vision for the Staten Island community. Special thanks to Councilwoman Debi Rose for sharing in our vision and for placing her trust in our group to revitalize the North Shore waterfront with a dynamic and affordable project that will meet the needs of all members of this vital community.”

“Bernheimer Architecture is thrilled to be part of the design team for the Stapleton project and to participate in the continuing revitalization of the Staten Island waterfront,” said Andrew Bernheimer, Founder and Principal of Bernheimer Architecture. “The building is conceived as a focal point of both the local neighborhood and the broader waterscape of New York Harbor; it will be a resilient, healthy, and active structure supporting a diverse community.”

“Starr Whitehouse is excited by this great opportunity to create new outdoor places in Stapleton that promote the health and enjoyment of the residents, enhance coastal resilience, and augment the public waterfront for Staten Islanders,” said Stephen Whitehouse, Principal at Starr Whitehouse. “We are proud to support HPD, the development team, the design team, and community partners in bringing high-quality affordable housing to a revitalized Stapleton neighborhood.”

“We look forward to advancing our strong presence on Staten Island of providing care for the elderly and vulnerable,” said Scott La Rue, President and Chief Executive Officer, ArchCare. “The Stapleton project will not only serve those living in the new building but also in the community. We know there will be a synergy achieved by the participation of the other not-for-profits as we all further our missions.”

Neighborhood Planning Process

Stapleton Site A is a vacant lot south of Hannah Street in the Stapleton Section of the North Shore. The project is part of the New Stapleton Waterfront District, a 35-acre decommissioned Navy Base. The New York City Economic Development Corporation (NYCEDC) is overseeing the City’s redevelopment of the New Stapleton Waterfront into a mixed-use neighborhood with housing, waterfront open space and retail and community facility uses. It will also include significant infrastructure improvements such as road reconstruction, bicycle and walking paths, and better connections to public transit. Find out more information about the New Stapleton Waterfront here.

The Stapleton Site A redevelopment project aims to further the goals of the Bay Street Corridor Neighborhood Plan, the product of a collaborative planning process undertaken by the City and the community. The Stapleton Site A designation also reflects the vision of the City’s Where We Live NYC fair housing plan, by creating new, high quality affordable housing in an area that has seen very little new affordable housing creation.

Through a series of public online workshops, questionnaires, and stakeholder meetings, HPD gathered input that is summarized in the Stapleton Site A Community Visioning Report. The winning development team and their proposed design was selected in part by how well they thoughtfully responded to the feedback summarized in the report.