Renderings courtesy of GF55 Architects
A mixed-income housing development with more than 500 apartments planned for Staten Island’s North Shore is set to become New York City’s largest mass timber residential development. On Monday, Mayor Eric Adams announced the selection of Artimus and Phoenix Realty Group to build the new homes, 25 percent of which will be designated as affordable, on two vacant sites along the New Stapleton waterfront. The development will be built with mass timber to lower the project’s carbon footprint and accelerate construction.
The project is part of the mayor’s “Staten Island North Shore Action Plan,” unveiled in September 2023. The four-year roadmap outlines a vision to reconnect and revitalize the borough’s North Shore through $400 million in public investment, the development of 2,400 homes, more than 20 acres of public space, the creation of over 7,500 jobs, and an estimated $3.8 billion in economic impact over the next three decades.
The use of mass timber delivers on commitments in Adams’ “Green Economy Action Plan,” which aims to grow the city’s green economy, invest in jobs and sectors that help address climate change, and prepare New Yorkers for the nearly 400,000 projected green-collar positions expected across the five boroughs by 2040.
“New York is a five-borough city, and I am a five-borough mayor,” Adams said. “That is why we have put Staten Island front and center from day one of this administration, unveiling our ‘Staten Island North Shore Action Plan’ to bring thousands of homes and jobs to the borough, launching construction on a vibrant new public space, and breaking ground on a brand-new recreation center.”
Located at the corner of Front and Canal Streets, the development will feature more than 500 apartments, with approximately 25 percent set aside for families earning between 40 and 80 percent of the area median income. Following Monday’s announcement, the development team will begin site investigations and move forward with design work, with construction expected to start in 2027.
This development will be the first publicly awarded project in the city to utilize mass timber. The design team will also participate in the NYC Mass Timber Studio, a technical assistance program aimed at ensuring the successful construction of mass timber projects.
“Constructing the New Stapleton Waterfront housing with mass timber will represent a significant and influential achievement. By utilizing mass timber, these buildings will dramatically reduce embodied carbon emissions, lessening the environmental impact on Staten Island and New York City,” Martha Bush, director at Marvel, which is participating in the NYC Mass Timber Studio, said.
“Additionally, the project will serve as a powerful precedent and catalyst for future large-scale mass timber developments, reshaping the way we build and advancing a more sustainable future.”
The project represents the next phase in the development of the New Stapleton Waterfront, an ambitious effort to transform the former U.S. naval base into a 32-acre, mixed-use, mixed-income waterfront neighborhood. Once completed, the sprawling development will provide over 2,100 mixed-income residential units, ground-floor retail, a 600-seat public school, and various community facilities, all connected within 12 acres of public open space.
In September, the city’s Economic Development Corporation (NYCEDC) broke ground on the next six acres of open space and esplanades at Stapleton, including the demolition of the old U.S. naval homeport buildings.
“By developing over 500 new mixed-income housing units and expanding public green spaces, we are not only addressing New York City’s housing crisis and advancing promises made in the North Shore Action Plan, but we are also creating a more resilient and sustainable built environment through the use of low-carbon building materials like mass timber,” NYCEDC President and CEO Andrew Kimball said.
“This transformative redevelopment project exemplifies the city’s commitment to creating mixed-used, mixed income neighborhoods along the vibrant waterfront that benefit all New Yorkers.”
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