November 3, 2023 — From Trash to Treasure: City Seeks to Transform Sanitation Garage into Affordable Housing

HPD launches competitive process seeking proposals to create new affordable housing and neighborhood resources at Staten Island sanitation site that will continue to operate at new location.

Through the development of this site, the City is furthering its commitment to uphold Staten Island’s North Shore as a vibrant, mixed-use community with housing opportunities that meet the community’s needs.

NEW YORK, NY –New York City Department of Housing Preservation and Development (HPD) is now accepting proposals to redevelop a large municipal vehicle garage into more than 200 affordable homes as part of Mayor Adams’s Staten Island North Shore Action Plan. Currently home to an NYC Department of Sanitation (DSNY) garage, this 115,000-square-foot site at 539 Jersey Street was highlighted as a development site in the 2019 Bay Street Rezoning.

Residents can still expect reliable sanitation service throughout the redevelopment process. Service based out of the garage, including vital cleaning, collection, and snow removal for the area, will be relocated to a new DSNY garage in Fresh Kills that is currently under construction by the New York City Department of Design and Construction (DDC).

“Repurposing City-owned properties as affordable housing is one of the creative ways this Administration is demonstrating our commitment to making housing more affordable and accessible for New Yorkers. We are eager to realize the potential this space has to serve the local community and help alleviate our city’s housing crisis, by adding over 200 new homes”, said Deputy Mayor for Housing, Economic Development and Workforce Maria Torres-Springer.

"HPD is excited to tell this trash-to-treasure story of transforming this North Shore garage and relocating the vehicles to provide more affordable housing and public resources for the Staten Island community,” said HPD Commissioner Adolfo Carrión Jr. “We build stronger, more resilient communities when we invest in uplifting neighborhoods and partner with teams that share the same commitment.”

 “On the Staten Island North Shore, we have a chance to pave a parking garage and put up paradise! That’s what these more than 200 income-restricted homes will mean for the New Yorkers who will live there. As one of the key commitments of our Bay Street Corridor Neighborhood Plan, and a longstanding goal of the community, City Planning is proud to see this vital remediation and redevelopment project move forward,” said Department of City Planning Director Dan Garodnick.

“Staten Island’s North Shore is brimming with opportunity, which is why the Staten Island North Shore Action Plan has been a priority for the Adams Administration,” said NYCEDC President & CEO Andrew Kimball. “This RFP is one step forward in delivering the City of New York’s longstanding promise to revitalize the area with affordable housing and resources for the community. The redevelopment will be the first of its kind on the North Shore, and NYCEDC is looking forward to seeing this vision come to life.”

“The new SI01 garage will provide Sanitation Workers with the facilities they deserve, and the repurposing of the Jersey Street site will create desperately needed housing. This project is a sign of what is possible with a City government where every agency works hand in hand, as has happened under Mayor Adams; it shows just what can happen when the City of Yes meets Get Stuff Clean,” said Jessica Tisch, Commissioner, NYC Sanitation

"Staten Island's North Shore holds immense promise, which is why the Staten Island North Shore Action Plan remains a top priority for my office. This RFP represents a crucial step forward in delivering on our commitment to enhance the area with affordable housing and vital community resources. This redevelopment initiative will be a trailblazer for the North Shore, and I am enthusiastic about witnessing this project come to fruition.” said Councilmember Kamillah M. Hanks.

The Jersey Street RFP follows HPD’s engagement in this neighborhood about the site as part of the Bay Street Corridor Neighborhood Plan, which was led by the New York City Department of City Planning (DCP) and approved in 2019. The Bay Street Corridor Neighborhood Plan mapped out approximately 220 units of 100% affordable housing for this site, which will include at least 90 senior units, and 25% of units reserved for very low and extremely low-income households. The plan also includes a mix of retail and/or community services on the ground floors of the buildings.

More recently, HPD completed a months-long community visioning process through which HPD sought input from the public at in-person and virtual workshops, community board meetings, civic association meetings, tabling events, a project questionnaire, and an interactive public comments map. This process resulted in a final community visioning report that summarizes engagement and the vision to transform the garage into high-quality, affordable housing with new amenities that are responsive to the needs of the surrounding neighborhood. HPD is asking housing development teams to respond to a set of goals and guidelines that reflect the community priorities in the report.

The Jersey Street site fits into the larger Staten Island North Shore Action Plan and is part of the City’s effort to maximize equitable growth on Staten Island. the New Stapleton Waterfront District which is about 1.5 miles from the Jersey Street site. Additionally, construction is targeted to start in 2025 for the Stapleton Beacon project, a city-initiated development that will bring 360 affordable homes, health services, social programs, and open space, followed by a new approximately 600-seat public school, to the Stapleton Waterfront.

To further encourage commercial growth, the City is currently reviewing responses to the Staten Island “CARE” (City Agencies Revitalizing the Economy) RFP to develop office space supported by a City agency as an anchor tenant, with a preference for sites located in commercial corridors of the North Shore.

Key elements of the design and utility for the Jersey Street RFP site should address the irregularly shaped block with surrounding one- and two-family homes, businesses, and a local church. Additionally, the design should propose a thoughtful site plan that connects the site with and responds to the surrounding neighborhood.

A pre-submission conference will be held on Tuesday, December 5th, 2023, which applicants are highly encouraged to attend and ask questions. The deadline for submissions to the RFP is Friday, February 9th, 2024. For more information on the Jersey Street RFP, visit the HPD website.

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The New York City Department of Housing Preservation and Development (HPD) promotes quality and affordability in the city's housing, and diversity and strength in the city’s neighborhoods - because every New Yorker deserves a safe, affordable place to live in a neighborhood they love. We maintain building and resident safety and health, create opportunities for New Yorkers through housing affordability, and engage New Yorkers to build and sustain neighborhood strength and diversity. HPD is entrusted with fulfilling these objectives through the goals and strategies of Housing Our Neighbors: A Blueprint for Housing and Homelessness, Mayor Adams’ comprehensive housing framework. To learn more about what we do, visit nyc.gov/hpd and connect with us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram @NYCHousing