Transcript: Mayor Adams, NYCEDC Announce Developers for Over 500 New Housing Units on Stapleton, Advancing Staten Island North Shore Action Plan

May 12, 2025

Andrew Kimball, President and CEO, Economic Development Corporation: Good morning. It is so nice to be on the North Shore of Staten Island. It is always beautiful when we are out here, Mr. Mayor, and we always have historic announcements to make. My name is Andrew Kimball. I'm president and CEO of the New York City Economic Development Corporation. As Mayor Adams always says, it's a five borough administration, and New York is a five borough city, and we have a five borough economic development strategy. 

But as this audience knows all too well, the city's housing and economic development plans long focused on other boroughs until this administration set out to get it right. About a year and a half ago, we stood alongside Mayor Adams and Councilmember Hanks at Pier 1 to launch the Staten Island Action Plan, a once-in-a-generation investment of $400 million that outlined a vision to complete a near-continuous waterfront esplanade, 20 acres, two miles long, while creating family-sustaining jobs, much-needed affordable housing, and enormous economic impact for the borough. This is the kind of big, bold vision that this community has long deserved. 

And since that announcement, we have got stuff done. In early 2024, the New York City Parks Department broke ground on the Mary Cali Dalton Recreation Center down the road. Last September, we broke ground on the new Stapleton Waterfront infrastructure and open space. Right here, you can see it under construction. Along with DOT, we resumed concessions on the Staten Island Ferry with Dunkin' Donuts taken over. And at the end of last year, we announced the developer for the mixed-use site at Hillside Grove with HPD. 

In March of this year, we broke ground on the Tompkinsville Esplanade construction, and we'll take a tour of that just after this event. And just this month, we began design on Pier 1 and the St. George Esplanade. And now, we get to check off another big box with this project right here at Stapleton. 

Before I turn it over to the mayor, I want to recognize our local elected leaders, many of whom you'll hear from in a few moments, and thank them for their tireless advocacy and partnership, particularly Councilmember Hanks on so many different projects along the North Shore. 

And of course, it took a big team to get us here. I want to recognize our partner agencies, City Planning, Department of Transportation, Parks, Housing Preservation and Development, the Mayor's Office for Climate and Environmental Justice, the city's bravest, FDNY, and our amazing team at EDC, and particularly Melissa Román Burch, our COO, has pulled off yet another amazing development project here in Stapleton. And with that, I want to turn it over to the leader who pushes us all every day to get it right and get it done, the get-done mayor, Eric Adams.

Mayor Eric Adams: Thank you. Thanks so much, Andrew and your entire team. We knew when we started out, we were going to need a marquee player to build a team of development and visions around, and we did just that with Andrew. His work along the waterfronts of this entire city, from Brooklyn Navy Yard to Industry City, and now he's taking his show on the road and really understood how important it was that we look at, how do we further expand and develop our waterfront. 

I mean, look at this. Who wouldn't want to live here? And just to see that many of these beautiful locations in our city, they remain dormant for far too long. And I know many Staten Islanders felt when the Wheel Project fell short, they thought the wheel of the bus of development fell off. But you know what? We came with our own set of tires, and now we're rolling strong in Staten Island. 

You are not the forgotten borough. You are so much part of this five-borough mission that we are on. We know for far too long you were ignored. And in 2023, when we unveiled our Staten Island North Shore Action Plan that invests $400 million to build 24 homes, transform over 20 acres of public space, and create thousands of good-paying jobs, all right here in the neighborhood of Staten Island. 

A year and a half later, a year and a half later, talking about getting stuff done, we're bringing that vision to life. We held the first groundbreaking on a new Staten Island rec center in over 14 years. Over 14 years, it is happening. We started construction, as it was indicated by Andrew, on the Tompkinsville Esplanade, and so many others, just ambitious projects that we are pushing through. 

The team over at EDC is committed and dedicated to the entire city. And these projects that we are witnessing, it is not a Manhattan-centered project. It is taking place all over the entire city, as his team is leaving their fingerprint on the progress of this city. 

With over a quarter of the units reserved as affordable, these are homes that everyday New Yorkers need and afford with a 1.4 percent vacancy rate. We have to build more. We have an inventory issue, not a desire issue. And by bringing more affordable housing to this neighborhood, we're making sure we have the backs of Staten Islanders and those who want to live here. And so, job well done. If I can just put this final check. We love the graphics in this administration. 

This is not just good for Staten Island, but it's good for our entire planet, as well as the city. It would be the first, first publicly awarded project to use mass timber, which you have in front of us right here. A sustainable material that not only reduces the project's carbon footprint, but builds these homes quicker, too. 

And by promoting more sustainable construction methods, it feeds right into our Green Economy Action Plan that we rolled out, a plan that would supercharge our rapidly growing green collar jobs. These are real jobs that not only save the green of our city, but it puts green dollars back in the pockets of the workers and those who are coming through the pipeline to understand the importance of these jobs. Good paying jobs and fast growing industries. This is the vision for Staten Island, and it is our vision for the entire city. 

We're turning our waterways into the harbor of the future, of something that continuously is being rolled out by EDC, and just a vision of Andrew and his entire team. From the world's largest food distribution center at Hunt Points Market, to a state-of-the-art life science center in Kips Bay. From cutting-edge startups at the Brooklyn Navy Yard, to sustainable housing and public space on the north shore of where we are now at Staten Island. 

We're strengthening new industries all across our harbor, and setting New Yorkers up for the jobs of the future. And the harbor of the future builds on our work to connect more New Yorkers to economic opportunities they deserve, to jobs that can sustain them, and housing they can afford. 

When we took office three years ago, our housing crisis was at a breaking point, and we knew we had to do something different, something smarter, and something aggressive. When you look at what Dan has done over city planning, and of course, what Deputy Mayor Carrión did at HPD, and now has taken his entire initiative in the deputy mayor's role, we were laser-focused on building, building, building. 

And we knew that too many families were being pushed out of the housing market, and too many plots of land across the city remained empty. That was a terrible combination that we knew we had to get stuff done, and started the process to meet a generational housing crisis with historic, ambitious ideas. And that's exactly what we did. We turned inaction into initiatives, and showed that government businesses and labor can work together to achieve monumental changes. 

And I think nothing personifies that more than the City of Yes, the most comprehensive housing plan in the history of the city. It is projected to produce 130,000 new homes over the next two decades. And if you let that sink in for a moment, our neighborhood plans alone projected to create more homes in less than four years. More homes in less than four years than the previous two administrations combined. In over 20 years, we're going to match and supersede that. 

There's simply no other way to say this has been a pro-housing, public safety, pro-family administration. And right here on Staten Island, we are taking another step to cement that legacy. The new Stapleton Waterfront is a critical piece of our efforts to give people the homes they need, because everyone deserves a place to live and to raise a family. 

Every inch of our city matters, and the administration remembers that the outer boroughs are not forgotten boroughs. They will always remain part of this administration’s agenda. So thanks, everyone, for this amazing, amazing turnout. Let's continue to build in this city. Thank you very much.

Kimball: Thank you, Mr. Mayor. And as the mayor said, we've really been laser-focused on tackling the city's housing crisis through dynamic collaboration between City Hall and its agencies. And at the center of that collaboration is someone who's been doing this work for decades. There's nobody better at it. He led HPD through record years of affordable housing production. I'm now proud to call him boss, deputy mayor for Economic Development, Housing, and Workforce, Adolfo Carrión.

Deputy Mayor Adolfo Carrión, Housing, Economic Development, and Workforce: He's just pretending. I work for Andrew. This place, up until now, and this administration, was a symbol of missed opportunities, repeated misses. 

That no longer is the case. I love that sign up there, Delivering for Staten Island. That's what this is about. Yes, it deserves a round of applause. Delivering for Staten Island, every borough. Mr. Mayor, thank you for your leadership, for your five-borough vision, for understanding that every part of the city is the center of the city. 

Every person is the center of the city. Every family, every neighborhood, every church, every business, it is the center. We often talk about the central business district. We often talk about the outer boroughs. There are no outer boroughs. This is one city and one family, New York City. I want to thank all our partners, Andrew's leadership, Melissa and the team, Councilmember Hanks, and her insistence that we continue to pay attention to this part of the city. Unbeatable views. I mean, you can't beat this. Amazing. 

I want to congratulate the development team that is going to execute on this project. Artimus NYC and Phoenix Realty Group mark another milestone for Staten Island's North Shore. And why this project matters is because this is more than just a housing announcement. This is a blueprint for how we build equitably, sustainably, and strategically across all of New York City. Over 500 new homes, as the mayor said, including 125 affordable units for working families. 

This project is a premier example of how we're turning underused city land into productive, community-serving spaces that prioritize mixed-income housing, public space, and long-term resilience. And to say something about innovation and sustainability, what makes this project especially exciting is that it will be the largest residential mass timber development in New York City, and one of the largest, yes, and one of the largest in the country. 

Mass timber is not just about a bold design choice. It's a climate-conscious choice. It helps us build faster, cleaner, and with a lower carbon footprint. As you can see right here in front of us, we have an example of what this mass timber beam looks like. This building material is strong, like one made from concrete or steel, but lighter in weight, lower in embodied carbon, constructed faster, and has unique architectural beauty, as you can see. 

This is exactly the kind of innovation we need as we grow our green economy. And in terms of economic and community impact, as we deliver on the Staten Island North Shore Action Plan, we're also advancing the goals of the Green Economy Action Plan, creating jobs, expanding opportunity, and building climate-resilient neighborhoods right from the ground up. The new Stapleton Waterfront isn't just about buildings, and we know that. It's about people. It's about families. 

With over 2,000 homes planned, a new school, 12 acres of open space, and community amenities, we're building a neighborhood, not just a development. So today's announcement shows what's possible when government leads with vision and when we work hand-in-hand with communities in the private sector to get big things done. Staten Island's future is being built right now, and it's greener, it's more inclusive, and it's full of promise. I want to thank everyone involved in this important, visionary work. This is a once-in-a-generation opportunity to transform this beautiful space in New York City. Congratulations.

Kimball: Thank you so much, deputy mayor. You know, it is very hard to get big projects done in New York City, but it is even harder when you don't have great partnership on the ground with the local councilmember. And the reason you are seeing so much getting done on the North Shore right now is not just because we have a mayor who wants to deliver, but because we have a councilmember who understands that the way great cities grow and stay great is by building, and building at all levels of affordability. 

We need to create housing of every kind. It means bringing people back to the waterfront and having great public realm that will stimulate investment in nearby neighborhoods, and you see that happening already on the North Shore. So it's my great pleasure to introduce Councilmember Kamillah Hanks. 

City Councilmember Kamillah Hanks: Good morning, everyone. My name is Kamillah Hanks, and I'm the councilmember of this district. Before I get into my prepared, you know, comments, we have to give it up for our mayor who shared this vision, and we wouldn't be here without him. 

And then I want to recognize the folks that are behind me, like Bobby Digi, like Mark Murphy, Massimo, his wife, [Daya.] The folks that are behind me, we've seen this movie before, and this is the first time we had an alternate ending. 

20 years, I was speaking to the developer, Artimus, and he goes, well, you probably are too young to remember this. And I said, no, sir, I am 52 years old, and I remember everything. And the fact that we are here today, ribbon cutting after ribbon cutting is a testament to partnership, and it is a testament to not giving up, that we do have the best views in the country. And now the economic development insurgence of housing and commercial and the fact that this is going to be the largest mass timber development is incredible. 

EDC, give it up for Andrew Kimball, because I'm telling you, I'm not easy. I'm not easy. But this is a culmination of 20 years. It took 20 years for this overnight success. We have been here, the folks behind me that I just mentioned, and the folks in front of me, like Peter Lisi, like Lillian Lagazzo. How many times have we been here? Mall, wheel, all of that, and never seeing a groundbreaking. But under this mayor, we've seen four. So you have to clap again. 

And it's a milestone. I grew up right around the corner from here. I used to fish with my father right on these piers. And it's not just 20 years of defunct. It's been 150 years that Staten Island has not gotten its due. And we want to do our part when it comes to addressing the housing crisis. And we have done that with this administration. We have done that with EDC, and we have done that with the people in front of me and behind me. Thank you so much.

Kimball: Thank you so much, councilmember. Now, to accelerate the adoption of sustainable construction in New York City, in 2023, we launched something called the Mass Timber Studio. Many of our program partners are here today, WoodWorks, MOCEJ, FDNY, DOB, and AIA. 

This game-changing initiative is an excellent example of the powerful role government can play in scaling clean construction in New York City, therefore creating new industries, jobs, and using sustainable materials like mass timber as the building block of the future. I'm proud to share that the developers of this new mixed-income housing project will receive the support of the Mass Timber Studio as they head into this great development. I would now like to welcome up Momo Sun with WoodWorks to share a few words.

Momo Sun, Regional Director, WoodWorks: Good morning, everyone. What an exciting day to be here. My name is Momo Sun. I'm a regional director with WoodWorks, and on behalf of WoodWorks, I am thrilled to be here today to celebrate this milestone for New York City and for the future of sustainable construction. For those of you that may not know, WoodWorks is a non-profit organization that provides free technical support, education, resources to help project teams design and build with wood. Now, the Stapleton development is more than just the project. It is a bold step towards a more sustainable, innovative, and community-driven future. 

This, as we've heard, will be the largest mass timber residential project development in New York City and one of the largest in the U.S. to bring affordable housing, and it is truly setting a new standard. And this is also the first publicly awarded project that encourages the use of mass timber in the Northeast. Now, this is a big deal. Mass timber, what is it? 

So, mass timber is a family of engineered products that includes glue lams, that's the one we have in front of us, used for posts and beams, and CLT, cross laminated timber, which we have on the side. And they come in huge pieces, even larger than this, right? And they're similar to heavy timber. So, mass timber offers a wide range of benefits from dramatically reducing embodied carbon to streamlining construction timelines with prefabrication to creating warm, beautiful spaces where people truly want to live and gather. 

It's the kind of forward thinking that our cities need. Now, the Stapleton development will be participating in EDC's mass timber studio, as we just said, which is in its second year now in 2025. And at WoodWorks, we're thrilled to be providing technical assistance again. Now, this is a big moment for New York City, and a big moment for mass timber, and we believe this is just the beginning. We cannot wait to continue advancing more mass timber projects just like this and continue to work with EDC and the city. Thank you.

Kimball: Thank you so much, Momo. And yes, indeed, today is a huge day for Staten Island, the city, and the green economy. We're grateful for all of you being here, and we'd be delighted to take any on-topic questions.

Question: Mayor, the councilmember talked about how we've been here before, the feel, the mall, the things that were promised on land like this. What assurances do you have for Staten Islanders and New Yorkers that this time it's not just the ribbon-cutting, but that this will actually lead to housing?

Mayor Adams: I think that when you look at this administration, probably our trademark is our ability to land a plane. And if you want to sort of get an indicator of our ability not only to do the ribbon-cutting, but actually get the projects done, go to Willets Point. Willets Point, for decades upon decades, Valley of the Ashes, the only thing that was there was Shea Stadium, and no one thought it was possible. And now you see from the day that we announced the union jobs, 2,400 units of housing, a soccer stadium that's being built on private dollars, a new school, a park. 

And you're not just seeing artists' drawings, you're seeing buildings going up. And so you can just continuously watch how many of these projects, I mean, everyone is saying these projects have laid dormant. No one had the ability to bring people to the table and say, let's get it built. We have done it over and over and over again. And we're going to do it here. 

These are great opportunities. And when I speak with either Adolfo or Andrew, I'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. And that's what we've done. 

Question: You had another big project, which is the Brooklyn Wind Farm, which now looks like it might be at risk because of the federal approvals there. Is that 1,000 jobs that are now at stake?

Mayor Adams: Great project. 1,000 jobs, I think is 500,000 homes could receive the energy from that. It's part of our overall plan to develop the Brooklyn Marine Terminal housing, part of our harbor of the future. 

When I was in D.C., I shared that with the president. And we are going to continue to push forward and try to get this over the finish line. The governor is engaged, and we're in continuing conversation. This is a huge, huge project that we would like to see get finished. And so when you have, you know, sometimes different ideas on how to use these spaces, you have to just continue to sit down and communicate to get it done. 

Our goal is to get this over the finish line. Actually, I was on the phone this morning as we were driving in, continuously to push to get this over the finish line. We want to get it done. This is a huge win for this region, and we want to get it finished. Okay. Thank you. Good job.