The South Shore of Staten Island is growing into an attractive retail location. In 2005, the New York City Economic Development Corporation (NYCEDC) sold a 42-acre site to developer Charleston Enterprises LLC for $15 million for the development of a large retail space. Charleston Enterprises is an affiliate of developer Blumenfeld Development Group.
According to the EDC, the location of the retail space helps the city reclaim sales tax revenue that is lost to nearby retail centers in New Jersey. Those involved in the project’s creation hoped that nearly 630 construction jobs and 550 permanent jobs would be generated.
Before the sale, the site was undeveloped woodlands, Staten Island’s largest vacant city-owned parcel. Located near the intersection of two major highways in Staten Island – West Shore Expressway and Pearl Harbor Memorial Expressway and the Richmond Parkway and Korean War Veterans Parkway – the site provides easy access to drivers in Staten Island. The location has raised questions among residents, elected officials, and others who are concerned about an already significant roadway congestion problem in Staten Island.
The site features 400,000 square feet of retail space, with national chain stores such as Home Depot, Bed Bath and Beyond, and Target. An Applebee’s Restaurant is also located on-site. In addition to the retail space, Charleston Enterprises also committed to developing a greenway for bicycles and pedestrian usage, and other improvements such as stormwater drainage, traffic signaling, and other utilities to mitigate the effects of the new development on the area. Even with these improvements, other environmental concerns reduced the original plan from 67 to 43 acres.
The construction of the project is complete and the retail spaces are operational.