It’s Time to Play Small Ball in Staten Island
08/15/2022
There’s a lot to see in Downtown Staten Island. In addition to some of the best views of New York City, there’s the 22 million Staten Island Ferry riders, the Empire Outlets, a major league ballpark, the St. George theater, the shops of Minthorne Street, and Borough Hall sitting in the center of it all.
Over the years, numerous “home run” projects have been proposed and a few were even built. Each project touted its ability to bring economic vitality to downtown. In more recent years, commercial assessments have been conducted and millions in grants have been awarded –all designed to be a catalyst for economic growth in downtown.
Yet, despite all these grand plans and projects, the streets of downtown Staten Island remain largely empty and, following the pandemic, littered with vacant storefronts. The problem, it appears, is too much focus on big ideas and not enough focus on the basics.
All the ingredients for success are present: consumers, retail destinations, grant funding, and economic demand. What’s needed is a consistent, focused effort that attracts shoppers to multiple destinations along with the proactive recruitment of new stores, restaurants, and office users.
Kamillah Hanks represents the downtown area on NYC Council. After meeting with her, JGSC is even more bullish on the future of Downtown Staten Island. JGSC has worked with her in the past and she keenly understands how to bring people together and build from the ground up.