Staten Island’s largest affordable housing project delivering 270 units of much-needed affordable housing as part of the Bay Street Corridor Neighborhood Plan the 12-story building sets aside half its units for formerly unhoused older adults while 131 units are reserved for households earning at or below 80% of the area median income The Pearl is the first completed project under the Bay Street Corridor Neighborhood Plan a 2019 rezoning initiative aimed at creating affordable housing and economic opportunities on Staten Island’s North Shore Officials and community leaders celebrated its opening as a key step in addressing the borough’s housing challenges “This beautiful building delivers a long-lasting positive impact for 270 families including housing for older formerly homeless adults who will call this place home,” said HPD Commissioner Adolfo Carrión “This is all part of our continued effort to improve the infrastructure and quality of life of the entire North Shore neighborhood.” including recreational areas and on-site supportive services provided by Selfhelp Community Services the building also offers convenient access to public transit via buses and the Staten Island Railway State Senator Jessica Scarcella-Spanton highlighted the significance of The Pearl for the community “The Pearl opening its doors will provide comfortable secure housing that meets the needs of our most vulnerable seniors Our seniors deserve the opportunity to age in place and I am happy to celebrate its opening with the Stapleton community.” The project was financed through a mix of public and private partnerships and New York State’s Extremely Low & Low-Income Affordability (ELLA) program It also reflects BFC Partners’ broader efforts to expand affordable housing across the city with The Pearl marking their third project on Staten Island I am incredibly proud to bring community-centered urban development solutions to our borough,” said Joseph Ferrara “The opening of The Pearl marks a significant step toward inclusivity demonstrating our commitment to accessible housing for all.” The Pearl’s completion represents progress for the Bay Street Corridor Plan but local advocates note that much work remains to address Staten Island’s growing housing needs With its focus on affordability and accessibility The Pearl sets the stage for further development along the North Shore offering a blueprint for inclusive and community-oriented urban growth Governor Kathy Hochul today announced the completion of The Pearl a new 270-unit mixed-use affordable housing development in Staten Island’s Bay Street Corridor neighborhood The $155 million project includes 138 apartments for formerly unhoused seniors with on-site supportive services New York State Homes and Community Renewal has created or preserved more than 500 affordable homes on Staten Island The Pearl continues this effort and complements Governor Hochul’s $25 billion five-year Housing Plan which is on track to create or preserve 100,000 affordable homes statewide.  “The Pearl is a shining example of how increasing housing supply can protect the most vulnerable New Yorkers from homelessness and enhance quality of life,” Governor Hochul said “This development unlocks more opportunities for families to have a safe new home and for seniors to have the comfortable stable place to live that they deserve.”  Developed by BFC Partners and Selfhelp Realty Group all apartments at The Pearl are set aside for households earning up to 80 percent of the Area Median Income The 12-story building includes 10,000 square feet of ground floor retail space Residential amenities include roof terraces a children’s room and outdoor activity space.  The supportive apartments benefit from an Empire State Supportive Housing Initiative award which is administered by the New York State Department of Health Support services provided by Selfhelp include mental and physical wellness programs and transportation to health care providers.  The highly energy-efficient development has been certified under Enterprise Green Communities and EPA Energy Star criteria Efficiency measures include Energy Star appliances The Pearl is within the Bay Street Corridor providing residents easy access to the Staten Island Railroad and complements Staten Island’s New York State Downtown Revitalization Initiative area which aims to increase housing supply and create a walkable State financing includes $45.6 million in permanent tax-exempt bonds Federal Low Income Housing Tax Credits that will generate $66.8 million in equity and $1.4 million in subsidy from New York State Homes and Community Renewal the site participated in the Department of Environmental Conservation's successful Brownfield Cleanup Program and became eligible for tax credits to be issued by the New York State Department of Tax and Finance.  New York State Homes and Community Renewal Commissioner RuthAnne Visnauskas said “The Pearl brings 270 quality homes to Staten Island that keep seniors and families safe while offering access to the amenities and services that give them the chance to thrive This development complements New York State’s Downtown Revitalization Initiative investment and enhances the Bay Street Neighborhood Corridor Plan to connect neighborhoods and create a vibrant Thank you to Governor Hochul for her vision and commitment to improving affordability for New Yorkers across the Empire State and to BFC Partners and Selfhelp Realty Group for their work completing this transformative development.”  New York State is prioritizing housing and supportive services for vulnerable populations Housing is one of the most fundamental social determinants of health and The Pearl exemplifies the State’s commitment to health equity and the wellbeing of New Yorkers.”  New York State Department of Environmental Conservation Interim Commissioner Sean Mahar said “The transformation of former industrial sites into affordable housing is a hallmark of New York State’s Brownfield Cleanup Program which is cleaning up environmental pollution and supporting local revitalization efforts The Pearl project on Staten Island is the latest great example of how this successful program is bolstering Governor Hochul’s commitment to construction of affordable housing statewide to benefit underserved communities while supporting DEC’s mission to protect public health and the environment.”  "Seeing 475 Bay Street open its doors is a proud moment bringing much-needed affordable housing to seniors who deserve a safe Thanks to BFC Partners and everyone involved this project ensures our elders can live with dignity and security here on Staten Island."  State Senator Jessica Scarcella-Spanton said "The Pearl opening its doors will provide comfortable and I am happy to celebrate its opening with the Stapleton community I look forward to seeing all its residents live independently with the support and resources they need to stay connected to their community for years to come."  New York City Planning Department Director Dan Garodnick said "When City Planning crafted the Bay Street Corridor Neighborhood Plan together with the community The Pearl was exactly the type of building we hoped to see early on including those dedicated to low-income seniors this new development is a big first step towards a more vibrant and equitable Bay Street urban development solutions to our borough Securing essential housing for those in need is deeply rewarding and the opening of The Pearl marks a significant step toward inclusivity demonstrating our commitment to accessible housing for all.”  Selfhelp Realty Group Executive Director Lisa Trub said “Selfhelp is proud to be a development partner and the onsite social service provider of The Pearl we’re bringing much-needed homes and integrated services for vulnerable older adults to Staten Island We know adults can age with dignity when they have stable affordable housing with onsite services that meets their needs and respects their life experience."  Governor Hochul is committed to addressing New York’s housing crisis and making the State more affordable and more livable for all New Yorkers the Governor secured a landmark agreement to increase New York’s housing supply through new tax incentives for Upstate communities new incentives and relief from certain state-imposed restrictions to create more housing in New York City a $500 million capital fund to build up to 15,000 new homes on state-owned property an additional $600 million in funding to support a variety of housing developments statewide and new protections for renters and homeowners $25 billion Housing Plan to create or preserve 100,000 affordable homes statewide including 10,000 with support services for vulnerable populations plus the electrification of an additional 50,000 homes More than 45,000 homes have been created or preserved to date.  The FY25 Enacted Budget also strengthened the Pro-Housing Community Program which the Governor launched in 2023 Pro Housing Certification is now a requirement for localities to access up to $650 million in discretionary funding more than 225 communities have been certified http://www1.nyc.gov/site/planning/plans/bay-street-corridor/bay-street-corridor.page Condos in Toronto’s Bay Street Corridor are known to serve up enviable luxury, and a just-listed suite overlooking Wellington Street West doesn’t disappoint. It boasts sweeping city views, soaring ceilings, top-of-the-line tech, and meticulous interior stylings by Crayon Design the sophistication starts well before you enter the unit itself Located in the coveted Ritz Carlton Residences at 183 Wellington Street West Past a pair of private elevators (which open up directly into the unit) you’re greeted by a spacious foyer with slab white marble flooring The marble gives way to engineered white oak in the living-dining-kitchen area and drenched in natural light thanks to a series of 10-foot floor-to-ceiling windows READ: You’ll Swoon Over the Design of this Sprawling Vaughan Estate A gourmet eat-in kitchen extends across one wall Amongst its features are Italian-designed cabinets by Poliform and fully-integrated appliances a 24-inch Sub-Zero freezer with panel fronts and two wall ovens and one steam oven by Wolf A canopy hood range hangs unassumingly over the kitchen island which is outfitted with a 36-inch electric flush-mounted cooktop the dining and living areas -- which are bridged by a striking double-sided fireplace -- are framed by endless views of downtown Toronto and Lake Ontario An adjacent large-capacity wine cellar with display racking and integrated LED lighting is one of this suite’s many lavish touches plus an oversized bookcase with integrated lighting and display shelving by Poliform The theme of luxury continues in the principal bedrooms The main bedroom includes one of the home’s three (yes the primary ensuite is decked out with spa-like fixtures And because this suite is as practical as it is pretty it includes soundproofing between all bedrooms and bathrooms There are also fully motorized blinds and motorized tracks for drapes throughout and a four-zone heating and air conditioning system In the unlikely event that you’re not quite sold the future residents of this abode will get to tap into a suite of hotel-style amenities including a residents-only 21st-floor sky lounge and fitness centre with all the bells and whistles Located on one of the uppermost floors of the 53-storey Ritz Carlton Residences the views from this condo are downright spectacular the suite itself is removed from the hustle of downtown Toronto And for days when you feel like getting in on the action and TIFF Bell Lightbox are just steps away With the sights and scenes of downtown Toronto quite literally at its doorstep this world-class condo is an unparalleled opportunity to soak up all the city has to offer This article was produced in partnership with STOREYS Custom Studio. Sign In Subscribe Now Victoria cyclists have a new contiguous north-south route to help them navigate the city the Vancouver Street All Ages and Abilities (AAA) cycling route is complete The 2.5-kilometre project is a part of the city’s 32-km priority network and extends from Bay Street to Park Boulevard shared-use bikeways in North Park and Fairfield with one-way protected bike lanes through the downtown core the city is continuing to invest in walking cycling and public transit to support healthy and affordable transportation options for everyone,” said Mayor Lisa Helps it is now possible to bike all the way from Dallas Road to the Victoria-Saanich border on a safe ALSO READ: Richardson Street redesign continues to hear opposition in Victoria The Vancouver Street route connects with the recently completed Graham-Jackson AAA corridor which extends from Bay Street along Graham and Jackson streets to the Saanich border at Tolmie Avenue It also connects to the Dallas Road off-street AAA pathway via multi-use pathways in Beacon Hill Park Additional work included new traffic signals The project was built with support from the federal Gas Tax Transfer Program as well as funding through the Federation of Canadian Municipalities’ Municipal Climate Innovation Program such as the Government of Canada’s investment in this new cycling route in Victoria brings incredible benefits to communities including promoting a healthy lifestyle and reducing the environmental footprint,” said Infrastructure Minister Catherine McKenna “These projects build communities where families want to live Completion of this route is a key milestone in the City’s AAA network An additional 10 kilometres is slated for construction in 2021 and planning for future phases is also underway The city is currently seeking final public and stakeholder input on cycling routes in James Bay The public can visit the Have Your Say platform at engage.victoria.ca by June 11 to provide feedback and learn more. A full description of cycling routes in the city can be found at victoria.ca under the Residents heading ALSO READ: New revisions to James Bay bike lanes open for feedback Do you have a story tip? Email: vnc.editorial@blackpress.ca. Follow us on Twitter and Instagram, and like us on Facebook. About the Author: Greater Victoria News Staff Dialogue and debate are integral to a free society and we welcome and encourage you to share your views on the issues of the day. We ask that you be respectful of others and their points of view, refrain from personal attacks and stay on topic. To learn about our commenting policies and how our community-based moderation works, please read our Community Guidelines Do you know what the official name for your Toronto neighbourhood is? As of this week, there's a good chance you don't the City released revised boundaries for the social planning of neighbourhoods that make up Toronto shaking up area borders and increasing the number of 'hoods from 140 to 158 in the process the city's original social planning neighbourhoods have remained unchanged through a quarter-century of substantial population growth They exist not just for placemaking purposes but also to assist in the city's planning of social services and other local benefits The city has adjusted the boundaries for 16 of the 140 original neighbourhoods, splitting them off into 34 new districts with a goal to balance population growth and better represent changing neighbourhoods. As of Wednesday, Toronto has a total of 158 neighbourhoods City news releases confirms: there are now 158 official Toronto neighbourhoods, up from 140. New boundaries are here. Find out where you live, officially: https://t.co/1PZ5gDFNzv Some of the changes include the splitting off of the blanket "Waterfront Communities-The Island" neighbourhood which stretched from the Don River to Bathurst into new neighbourhoods "St Lawrence-East Bayfront-The Islands" and "Harbourfront-CityPlace." The "Church-Yonge Corridor" and "Bay Street Corridor" neighbourhoods have also been carved up an east-west line through the two areas splitting them into four neighbourhoods now known as "Bay-Cloverhill," "Yonge-Bay Corridor," "Church-Wellesley," and "Downtown Yonge East." The former "Niagara" neighbourhood has been split into the two new "Fort York-Liberty Village" and "West Queen West" areas Other new additions include "North Toronto" and "South Eglinton-Davisville" in the midtown area the pair occupying the former boundaries of the previous "Mount Pleasant West" neighbourhood that witnessed a pronounced population spike in the last 25 years Areas that have long had their own identities are now being given their dues with official city boundaries but there are other clearly-defined neighbourhoods that still haven't been broken off into from their broader parent neighbourhoods which still remains an officially nameless portion of the broader "South Riverdale" neighbourhood The boundary changes and creation of new neighbourhoods are intended to better balance changing populations with Mayor John Tory claiming "changes to the social planning neighbourhoods will help the City and our partners enhance equity reduce poverty and ensure that services and supports are delivered where they're needed most." The Bay Street Corridor Housing Plan, released in 2018, summarizes the goals, strategies, and actions that the City proposes to undertake in response to a range of needs and priorities identified by North Shore residents during a multi-year planning process. It is part of the Bay Street Corridor Neighborhood Plan which seeks to connect the existing mixed-use town centers of Saint George and Stapleton by creating a walkable neighborhood with opportunities for housing and jobs with access to existing public transportation City agencies held numerous workshops and visioning sessions to hear the needs and priorities of the North Shore community community members developed a series of goals for the North Shore including opportunities for affordable housing and infrastructure improvements The guiding principles of the overall Bay Street Corridor Neighborhood Plan are: The Draft Bay Street Corridor Housing Plan aims to build on the goals laid out by local stakeholders to provide greater affordability and economic opportunity in the North Shore.  Visit the Department of City Planning Bay Street Corridor webpage for information about the final approved rezoning NYC is a trademark and service mark of the City of New York Privacy Policy. Terms of Use.  \"our\") of the service provided by this web site (\"Service\") are not responsible for any user-generated content and accounts Content submitted express the views of their author only This Service is only available to users who are at least {age} years old you represent that you are this age or older or otherwise make available to the Service (\"Content\") may be reviewed by staff members All Content you submit or upload may be sent to third-party verification services (including Do not submit any Content that you consider to be private or confidential You agree to not use the Service to submit or link to any Content which is defamatory You are entirely responsible for the content of We may remove or modify any Content submitted at any time Requests for Content to be removed or modified will be undertaken only at our discretion We may terminate your access to all or any part of the Service at any time or re-publish your Content in connection with the Service These terms may be changed at any time without notice If you do not agree with these terms, please do not register or use the Service. 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to be in need of rejuvenation - has either a speculated development or a building under construction on nearly every block of the street as the City is pulling out all the stops in an effort to moderate the frenzied development boom Our journey begins around the corner from where we last left off on Church Street turning southward on Yonge down to College before turning west and back north again up Bay ending off in the western fringes of the University of Toronto campus We will give an overview of all potential development sites in the area; all proposals working their way through the planning process; all buildings currently under construction; and all developments nearing completion as we tour one of the most exciting growth areas in the city We start our tour of Downtown North heading west on Charles Street from Church Street, where we come to our first potential development site at 61-63 Charles East Currently home to a 3-storey Art Deco apartment building the property was apparently sold to a developer back in 2014 with the intent of building condos the site may yield yet another tower in the crowded neighbourhood in the coming years View of Casa III Condos under construction Just next door, the finishing touches are being put on Casa II Condos which reached its full 56-storey height last year The 447-unit tower has already made its presence felt on the skyline and is nearly complete so look for construction crews to clear off the property in the coming months Two properties west, the effects of added density are being felt with the expansion and renovation of the parking garage at 20 Charles Street East Two floors are being added to the existing garage to increase capacity while the ground floor retail spaces are being renovated with upgrades to all existing mechanical and ventilation systems throughout the entire structure which was passed by City Council in March 2016 and aims to protect the remaining heritage buildings and character on the stretch of Yonge from Bloor to College a one-year moratorium on demolition was placed on the area in February 2015 and the City has since been refusing many demolition applications as the HCD is tied up at the OMB the document will continue to allow development to happen; however it will introduce policies and guidelines that ensure the heritage character of the district is preserved and that all new buildings are compatible with the existing built form at street level Many developments in this district are awaiting the HCD to be settled at the OMB and officially come into the law before proceeding We start our southward journey down Yonge Street with a modest development at the southwest corner of Yonge and Charles with the renovation and expansion of 728 Yonge Street, formerly housing a Shoppers Drug Mart. Designed by Brook McIlroy the project is restoring the historic facades of the existing 3-storey building while constructing a contemporary 3-storey addition to the south Work is already underway with scaffolding surrounding the exterior of the structure and the interiors having been gutted down to the bare structure Across the street, a potential development site encompasses three low-rise structures on the southeast corner of Yonge and Charles, where a developer is rumoured to have purchased the properties at 671 Yonge Street back in 2013 with the intention of constructing a tower that wrapped around onto Charles Street City staff objected to the demolition and designated the building as Part IV under the Ontario Heritage Act in 2015 Lifetime appealed to the OMB in November 2015 where they have battled with the City since a recent revised proposal has gained the City's approval and two weeks ago City Council endorsed a settlement with the owners to finally end the OMB saga and would see a 51-storey residential tower constructed at the centre of the property that would preserve all or most of each of the heritage buildings save for 79 St and at the moment information is scarce as the project awaits its final OMB hearing in May but we will keep you updated of any news as it becomes available Rendering of the Church of Scientology Building image courtesy of The Church of Scientology South of the Church of Scientology, rumours circulated in 2012 that a developer was assembling the historic properties from 664-682 Yonge Street a row of storefronts at the foot of Isabella Street but this presents yet another speculated development site any reference to the proposal has since been removed Continuing south, we come to 8 Gloucester Street, a proposal by Angel Developments for a 34-storey tower on the northeast corner of Yonge and Gloucester. Designed by Hariri Pontarini Architects the 252-unit condo building would preserve the heritage Gloucester Mews in its entirety and would maintain the pair of historic houses on Gloucester Street Other than some updated renderings discovered on the architect's website early last year there has been no movement on this proposal since being approved by City Council in 2013 so it is unclear whether or not this development will materialize image courtesy of Hariri Pontarini Architects Across Gloucester Street to the south, excavation and shoring is now underway for The Clover on Yonge, a 44-storey condo tower by Cresford Developments that will stretch the entire block along Yonge between Gloucester and Dundonald Streets. Designed by architectsAlliance the tower will add 528 new condo units to the area with office and retail integrated into the podium look for construction to get underway later this year Just off of this busy stretch of Yonge, Totem Condos is under construction at 17 Dundonald Street, where Worsley Urban's 18-storey tower is set to rise. Featuring architecture from RAW Design the building will add 120 new condo units to the neighbourhood while recreating the facade of the 3-storey Modernist building previously on site it will also feature a brand new second entrance to Wellesley subway station in its podium Construction is currently underway on the below-grade levels of the building so look for the tower to rise out of the ground in the coming months Construction on the tower floor plates is just now peaking above grade so look for the building to rise into the sky in the coming months View of Vox Condominiums under construction Just next door, excavation is complete and the tower crane installed for Plaza's 50 at Wellesley Station, a 37-storey Quadrangle Architects-designed condo building The tower will add 365 new units to the area and will rise alongside both Vox and Totem Condominiums Look for construction to begin shortly on the below-grade levels with the concrete structure likely reaching grade before the end of the year The entire development comprises 608 new condo units The dig down has exposed the subway tunnel that crosses the site diagonally where they are doing mechanical ventilation upgrades to the tunnel before spanning the building's foundations across and reburying it Rendering of TeaHouse 501 Yonge Condominiums No proposals have been put forth as of yet but along with much of the Historic Yonge stretch we may see something materialize soon once the HCD is in place On the southwest corner of Yonge and Grosvenor Street, Cresford Developments is planning yet another tower on the busy stretch with Halo Residences on Yonge, a 38-storey condo building with retail integrated into the podium. Designed by architectsAlliance the tower will add 451 new units while preserving and restoring the historic fire hall clock tower on the site which is best known for being part of the St a former LGBT bar that was central to the civil rights movements in the 1970s and 80s Could demolition crews move onto the site this year East of Halo and south of TeaHouse, KingSett Capital made waves last year with their proposed redevelopment of the Courtyard Marriott at 475 Yonge featuring a design from Quadrangle Architects The proposal would see the existing 9 and 16-storey hotel towers which span the full block on Yonge between Alexander and Wood Streets replaced with a pair of condo towers rising 45 and 65 storeys atop a shared 5-storey podium The development would comprise a total of 988 new condo units with a 289-room hotel component to replace the existing use as well as retail integrated at grade level The proposal is currently making its way through the planning process Across the street at the southwest corner of Yonge and Grenville Streets, Canderel's YC Condos is rising quickly out of the ground, with construction of the concrete floor plates having now reached the fifth floor. Designed by Graziani + Corazza Architects the tower will rise 66 storeys and will comprise a total of 600 new condo units with office and retail integrated into the 5-storey podium Look for this building to rise into the skyline over the course of the year as construction will accelerate once crews reach the repetitive tower floor plates Just to the south of YC Condos, a renovation and addition is in the works for the prominent historic Oddfellows Hall at the northwest corner of Yonge and College Streets. Designed by ERA Architects the project would see a 5-storey addition constructed on top of the building that would include additional commercial space the project is still seeking site plan approval at the City On the northeast corner of Yonge and Carlton Streets, a buzzworthy proposal from Northam Realty came forward last year to replace the existing 18-storey office tower at 2 Carlton with a pair of 72-storey IBI Group-designed towers the controversial project would add 1,100 new condo units to the area with grade-level retail in the shared podium and would fill the entire block of Yonge between Wood and Carlton Streets The Modernist building currently occupying the site is listed on the Toronto Heritage Register the Historic Yonge HCD did not list it as a contributing property in its pre-OMB document adopted by City Council The development is currently seeking rezoning at the City which will include a new skating trail and accompanying service building and increased connections to the surrounding streets Construction began last spring and is scheduled for completion late 2017 Site plan of the new Barbara Ann Scott Park we end up at the corner of Collage and Bay ready to check out the Bay Street corridor the Bay corridor still presents a batch of intriguing projects and densification that will continue the rapid transformation of the Downtown Core when demolition of the existing building was carried out over the past few months and is now complete There is still no active proposal for the site it is believed that the provincial government still plans to redevelop the property in the future at an undetermined date View of the demolition of 880 Bay Street from early March 2017 image by Forum contributor stjames2queenwest Just to the north of 880 Bay, the Government of Ontario announced last year plans to renovate the Macdonald Block Complex which comprises four Modernist towers constructed in the late 1960s and the Art Deco Whitney Block The major multi-year project will get started with employees beginning to vacate the complex in 2018 The Macdonald Block is the highest concentration of Ontario government employees in the province and is home to 12 cabinet ministers The 880 Bay site immediately south of it will be used for construction staging during the lengthy Macdoanld Block renovation process View of the Whitney Block (left) and Macdonald block towers (right) construction on the building is now just poking above grade so look for the tower to rise into the sky over the course of the year and will be installed once construction on the tower is complete View of Wellesley on the Park under construction with the addition of an 8-storey podium and an additional 8-storeys on top of the existing structure The project will add 727 new residential units to the area with grade-level retail integrated into the new podium Rental replacement units will be built fronting Phipps Street on the north side of the project with the existing building stripped down to its concrete structure and the cladding now being installed on the new podium Look for significant progress to be made on the building over the course of the year View of The Britt Condos under construction Continuing north on Bay we pass by the two towers and townhomes of the recently completed U Condos. On the northwest corner of Bay and St. Mary is 55 Charles Street West, the taller of two towers that were completed in 1980. Having been acquired by the Azuria Group in recent years the 32-storey rental apartment tower has been undergoing renovations to modernize it most obvious on the outside through the new windows that have been installed on the south side of the building One of the sides of 55 Charles West that still needs its windows replaced with 220 condo units housed on the upper floors of the building Additional college space would occupy the two-storey podium including 8 suites for the Loretto Sisters who administer the college There has been no recent movement on this proposal and it is uncertain when development might start Our next Growth to Watch For story will head into the University of Toronto campus and then explore all of the developments happening on this northwest side of Downtown cutting through a diverse range of neighbourhoods on the Bloor make sure to check out the dataBase files and associated Forum threads for each of the projects mentioned above for more information You can tell us what you think of all the developments happening in the city by joining the discussions in the threads or by leaving a comment in the space provided on this page Plans to replace and expand Jacksonville’s Skyway system are taking another step forward The Jacksonville Transportation Authority announced Thursday it has selected the firm Balfour Beatty to roll out what's called the Bay Street Innovation Corridor JTA's board still needs to approve the final contract The corridor is part of JTA's plan to replace and expand the Skyway’s monorail cars with autonomous electric vehicles The overall project is collectively being called the Ultimate Urban Circulator The existing monorail cars will eventually be retired The U2C includes the Bay Street Innovation Corridor the full conversion of the Skyway superstructure and an expansion into nearby neighborhoods the system will expand the current Skyway from a 2.5-mile system to the 10-mile U2C “This award represents a major milestone for the U2C the JTA and Downtown Jacksonville,” said JTA CEO Nathaniel P “We are confident the Balfour Beatty team and its partners will deliver a world-class project on behalf of the taxpayers of Jacksonville placing our community at the forefront of innovation.” Balfour Beatty and its partners will oversee 60% of the design of the corridor at-grade service along Bay Street that will run from Hogan Street to the Sports & Entertainment District 121 Financial  Field and the VyStar Veterans Memorial Area JTA said the approximately $44 million project is fully funded and supported by local including the $12.5 million BUILD grant awarded to the JTA in 2019.  A significant portion of the funding will also come from the 6-cent gas tax that the Jacksonville City Council approved in May goes into effect next year and is expected to raise about $1 billion for a variety of city infrastructure projects The U2C is expected to receive about $246 million from the  gas tax The U2C is expected to be the centerpiece of a technological "smart city" initiative that is being marketed on a wider multi-agency scale as the BayJax Innovation Corridor which is visualized to include everything from advanced traffic management to potentially even solar sidewalks to help power the  technology that will be built along Bay Street Other vendors scheduled to help build out and get the U2C project going include Superior Construction Company Southeast Correction: An earlier version of this story contained an incorrect gas tax revenue estimate Bill Bortzfield can be reached at bbortzfield@wjct.org or on Twitter at @BortzInJax In most urban development success stories, vibrancy typically comes less from any one component than from all the pieces working together to create an attractive space. In big city downtowns to small town Main Streets alike, urban revitalization comes down to what we at The Jaxson call the “Three C’s”: the clustering of complementing uses within a compact setting expensive silver bullet projects or the span of generations to revitalize urban streets but rather just a bit of coordination to concentrate amenities within easy walking distance of one another One easy way to put the Three C’s to work in an urban setting is to designate specific streets as corridors to cluster retail and amenities This is one method many of Jacksonville’s peer cities have used to turn their Downtowns around and it works in many Jacksonville neighborhoods as well It can be as simple as determining which streets already have these uses and enacting smart policies to encourage further growth there and nowhere is this more evident than one Downtown avenue with the potential to become a high-density commercial corridor: Bay Street Bay Street is already home to a number of local restaurants opening the opportunity for compatible infill development to strengthen the thoroughfare as a pedestrian-friendly retail and dining corridor that could eventually help tie the Downtown Northbank with the Sports & Entertainment District to the east the north side of Bay is home to three nearly continuous blocks of intact storefronts just east of the Main Street Bridge potential is limited by the fact that on the south side of this same stretch there is only one building along with a surface parking lot and two blocks of empty fields In September 2021, the DIA tasked a committee with paving a new way forward for the blocks While still determining that a mixed use residential and commercial development was best they recommended a number of changes from the previous request for proposal only the former Courthouse site would be bid out for now as the adjacent Hyatt Regency has right of first refusal on anything built there One major change gives the Jaxson team considerable pause The committee proposed to remove the requirement that at least 80% of the Bay Street frontage be retail space they suggested that a minimum of 35% of the space be “activated.” Additionally ground-floor offices and private amenities for building residents would count toward “activation.” Considering that these kinds of uses don’t generate foot traffic like restaurants and shops it opens up the possibility that most if not all of this block could be a permanent dead space Downtown Investment Authority CEO Lori Boyer reiterated that DIA is committed to seeing active ground floor frontage on this parcel: “The DIA Board has not taken final action on the minimum requirements nor the scoring criteria applicable to a disposition of the former courthouse site there was considerable discussion about the desire to have activated ground floor space accessible to the public on both Bay Street and the riverfront and that some ‘retail’ does more for activation than other retail CBRE advised the Board to eliminate the minimum requirement on Bay in favor of scoring that gave the ability to reward both the quantity and quality of retail on Bay The Board will make a final decision prior to the issuance of any Notice of Disposition What happens at street level along Bay Street can either enhance this street retail strip or permanently take away from its potential vibrancy and pedestrian scale setting the DIA’s approach works out and the winning bid makes a firm commitment to retail on the ground floor of Bay Street as it’s one of the places that presents the biggest opportunity to take advantage of the Three C’s in the short term in all of Downtown it seems reasonable at first glance that pedestrian-oriented retail be avoided on high-traffic streets However, as we’ve pointed out before high vehicular traffic counts don’t necessarily have a negative impact on a pedestrian-friendly retail area Pedestrian-oriented land use policies and infrastructure have a far greater impact on an area’s walkability Bay Street’s traffic density is comparable to some of the city’s most vibrant neighborhood commercial districts including Atlantic and San Marco boulevards in San Marco Square Johns Avenue along the Shoppes of Avondale Given that there are already several restaurants it’s perhaps the best place to revamp as a designated pedestrian corridor hopefully DIA not only maintains its commitment to adding more retail frontage to Bay Street but commits to implementing new land use policies and infrastructure to make it as pedestrian friendly as possible It’s definitely one area where adopting common sense principles can have a far greater effect than any massive new development Editorial by Bill Delaney and Ennis Davis, AICP. Contact Bill at wdelaney@moderncities.com and Ennis at edavis@moderncities.com Bill Delaney’s new book Secret Jacksonville: A Guide to the Weird, Wonderful and Obscure is out. Order a copy here They may be hot among tourists looking for Airbnbs to crash at on weekends but Toronto residents appear to be growing less-enchanted with condos in neighbourhoods like King West and The Village A new report from the real estate data analysts at Strata indicates that while Toronto condo prices are well on their way to rebounding from a pandemic-induced lull across the board a few neighbourhoods are actually seeing an opposite trend emerge "Party neighbourhoods like King and Queen West are still sitting at March levels with The Village at its lowest since January," said broker of record Robert Van Rhijn in the newly-released report "Rental demand is still strong in areas known for their entertainment value but buyers don't seem to be flocking here as much." The Village and the Distillery District — all trendy areas known for their bustling nightlife and / or ample attractions — actually saw decreases in average condo prices over July of 2021 This is in defiance of wider trends in the downtown core where the average cost per square foot of a condo reached $1,088 last month these neighbourhoods were famous for their restaurants the hip young people that frequented them," writes Strata of the aforementioned hoods office-heavy areas in the Financial District are seeing prices rise even faster than normal The Bay Street Corridor alone saw the average cost per square foot of a condo jump up to $1,200 in July Strata shows that the average unit in this neighbourhood is selling for $893,000 — an increase of $113,000 over the month previous "When we looked at all the data on a map, the neighbourhoods with an uptick in sales activity had a higher concentration of workspaces,” said Van Rhijn. "The writing's on the wall as people face the reality that they'll eventually have to return to the office." "There are lots of students from wealthy families who opt to buy instead of rent," said Van Rhijn "So that's also contributing to some of the bidding wars in this area." Strata.ca The City Council subcommittee on Zoning and Franchises unanimously voted to approve the Bay Street Corridor rezoning plan Thursday the seventh rezoning under the de Blasio administration housing plan The plan has been in the making for over five years It rezones 20 blocks of Staten Island’s North Shore and could lead to the creation of 1,800 new units of housing including 1,300 income-targeted apartments The city has promised $250 million in local investments The City Council Land Use subcommittee voted 6 to 0 for the city’s Bay Street Corridor rezoning proposal Negotiations between the city administration City Council and local Councilmember Debi Rose went well into the night before the committee vote Rose said she got the most she could to match her top priorities of deeper affordable housing transit and the long-awaited renovation of North Shore’s Cromwell Recreation Center “The North Shore is not a gated community and I have maintained a commitment to ensure that no one feels shut out of their own neighborhood,” said Rose before the vote “I believe my constituents will be pleased with the $250 million package we delivered for the North Shore All of these commitments include many strategies to ensure that the North Shore is better equipped to deal with the new housing and population growth accompanying this development.” I believe we have reached a plan that will meet the needs of our neighborhoods but more importantly will be a roadmap to a new investment in Staten Island and create vital opportunities for the future of our borough,” Rose continued Some community members said they were skeptical that the city would keep its promises and others were upset that the city bargained for Bay Street using promises it had made before The proposal calls for rezoning along the Bay Street and Canal Street corridors which have not seen any zoning changes since 1961 The Bay Street Corridor is currently a light manufacturing district and the R3X district west of Bay Street is a lower-density residential district for one and two-family detached homes The city wants to amend the zoning there to R6B which applies to traditional row-house districts and will fall under the Mandatory Inclusionary Housing (MIH) program requiring the creation of income-targeted units blocks surrounding Beach Street and Canal Street are currently zoned as R3-2 and R4 districts multi­family apartment houses and detached and semi-detached one- and two-family residences The city proposes to change the zoning to R6B for medium-density residential use The proposal also includes the development of two city-owned properties for job creation and mixed-use (commercial and residential) development with affordable housing the Special Stapleton Waterfront District and Special St will be expanded and remain for commercial Staten Island Community Board 1 voted “no with conditions” against Bay Street rezoning plan.The list of conditions included demands for traffic mitigation additional ferry services and making the proposed renovations to the Cromwell recreation center a separate project with its own funding Borough President James Oddo also voted with conditions against the rezoning It passed the City Planning Commission by an 8-3 margin a larger display of dissent than typically displayed by that body According to the points of agreement between Rose and the administration the Bay Street Corridor rezoning will be accompanied by  an estimated $250 million worth of investments of which an estimated $100 million will go towards funding for various projects and initiatives  such as a portion of funding for Cromwell Recreation Center and the Tompkinsville waterfront project public realm and street improvements along Bay Street and around the Tompkinsville and Stapleton SIR stations and improvements to Village Hall at Tappen Park The two phases of the Homeport site on the new Stapleton Waterfront will include approximately 600 affordable housing units with 30 percent of the units in first phase of development for residents making up to 50 percent Area Median Income (which is estimated at $46,950 for a family of three) Rose has also secured 100 percent affordable housing at 539 Jersey Street (with a minimum of 20 percent of the affordable housing on the site reserved for households making less than 50 percent of AMI and 90 units of senior housing) and the New Stapleton Waterfront Site A will have 100 percent affordability by the end of 2020 with a minimum of 30 percent for Extremely Low and Very Low Income Households (those earning up to 30 percent and up to 50 percent of the Area Median Income respectively; 30 percent of AMI is $28,170 for a family of three) The city will plan on implementing existing tenant protection programs such as expanding the Landlord Ambassador Program which aims to stabilize the physical and financial health of small- and medium-sized multi-family buildings by helping owners navigate the process of applying for HPD financing Residents will also have access to an expanded free legal assistance which already exists in the North Shore under the 2017 Right to Counsel lawin ZIP codes 10302 The city also plans to launch the HomeFix initiative there which helps low-income homeowners make critical repairs and stay in their home an effort to combat  “zombie homes” left over from the 2008 foreclosure crisis In order to fight displacement as an impact of the rezoning Rose said the de Blasio administration has committed to 100 vouchers for North Shore families to move out of shelters into affordable housing in the North Shore “Several agencies have also committed to dedicated legal services for residents of the North Shore who may face displacement as development occurs,” she said The city has also promised to  build a brand new approximately 600-seat school on the waterfront The School Construction Authority has committed to another new elementary school at the old Hungerford School Site and to build a new annex for P.S.13 to provide additional seats in addition to the current building on Targee Street the city is planning on developing 55 Stuyvesant Place for a mix of job-generating uses and has guaranteed prevailing wages for all building service workers in new buildings or buildings that receive one million dollars or more in public financial assistance The city will also fund  12 acres of a continuous waterfront esplanade that will include open space amenities such as a children’s playground Rose said this was a key connection between the proposed new waterfront development and the ferry terminal The city has also agreed to repair and improve the fountain and hall at Tappen Park Rose said the city has agreed to run additional bus services during peak hours alongside the new ferry line which the NYC Economic Development Corporation plans to launch the St George and Coney Island routes in 2020 and 2021 Rose had asked to relocate the 120th Precinct because of traffic created by Central Bookings’ location there The city told Rose the expense of moving the precinct to another location would be too much Rose said the city did agree to moving Central Bookings to the courthouse There will also be a full traffic monitoring study to mitigate critical points on Bay Street such as Victory Boulevard and Central Avenue The city will invest an estimated $15 million in necessary sewer infrastructure work along Bay Street to ensure new development does not create flooding or drainage issues This funding is separate from  $45 million in new sewers the city has committed $92 million to the long-awaited reconstruction of the Cromwell Recreation Center heavily damaged by Superstorm Sandy and then demolished The city will build a new recreation center at the Lyons Pool site across the street from former Cromwell site According to the points of agreement document the city has committed to offering a variety of recreational amenities there which potentially could include sport courts and flexible programming spaces that complement the recreational amenities already at Lyons The City plans on engagement with the community on the design process The anticipated opening date of the new community center is 2025 “I have secured the necessary funding and commitments for the next chapter of the story of the North Shore,” Rose boasted in her statement planning on Staten Island has been haphazard or nonexistent we have before us a blueprint for a well-planned future Through many negotiations over nearly five years I am pleased to be delivering several critical community investments that respond to the needs of the existing community while also providing a sustainable path for the future of the North Shore.” Mayor de Blasio said in a statement that the plan ” will create a more affordable neighborhood that opens the doors of opportunity to residents from all walks of life.” “This is about making sure kids who grow up on Staten Island can eventually have an apartment in the borough they love and about making sure there’s affordable and accessible housing for Staten Island seniors so they can live independently as they age,” de Blasio added “I am grateful for Councilmember Rose’s partnership and all she has done to fight for the future of Staten Island.” Staten Island Community Board 1 Land Use Chair Vincent Accornero said the deal Rose struck sounded good as a concept  but added that his community still has a lot of mistrust from past discontinued city projects such as the New York Wheel which was halted due to funding issues and a court case as well as discarded proposals for renovating the Cromwell center I remember they said they had this money locked in but somehow this city finds a way to get it We have had some issues where we have been burned in the past,” said Accornero The community board will hold a general meeting next week Tuesday to discuss the points of agreement Many local organizations and stakeholders felt the Cromwell Rec Center rebuilding should have been  separate from the rezoning package because it was a promise made to the community long before the rezoning plan existed Oddo panned the deal. “A repeat of the lack of planning that has plagued Staten Island ever since the opening of the Verrazano Bridge. Today’s decision makers, just like our counterparts of decades ago, will have the benefit of being long gone when the byproducts of their shortsightedness manifest themselves,” tweeted Oddo The borough president had also called on the city for a full analysis of services such as police local hospitals and sanitation to quantify how service levels will be affected and if additional funding for those services would be needed to meet the demand of the future 6,500 residents Oddo argued in his statement that the $92 million for Cromwell the funding for the Hungerford site and the $39 million from FEMA (Federal Emergency Management Agency) for the waterfront “would have been allocated anyway” and the rezoning “opportunities missed” were tragic One complex point of discussion as the plan wound its way through the city’s land-use process was what kind of affordable housing to require under the city’s Mandatory Inclusionary Housing rule which compels developers taking advantage of new density to set aside some apartments for specific income groups Oddo wanted to give developers a choice among Options 1 meaning “affordable” units could serve incomes as high as $93,840 for a family of three  Oddo also wanted mixed-income housing on city-owned properties But community groups whose top concern was wanted the city to authorize fewer options with a deeper skew toward low-income households and to require 100 percent affordability on city-owned sites Staten Island did not have the same housing stock as the rest of the city with mostly two-family homes where some renters who did not have leases were most vulnerable to evictions and rising rents Rose said the proposed rezoning aims to use Mandatory Inclusionary Housing Options 1 and 3  Option 1 requires that 25 percent of units are affordable to families making an average of 60 percent Area Median Income (AMI) Option 2 allows developers to set aside 30 percent of units for families making an average of 80 percent AMI (or $75,120 for a family of three) who organized with the Staten Island Housing Dignity Coalition “We still believe there there’s people are going to be displaced.” the Committee on Land Use will also vote on the Bay Street Corridor proposed rezoning plan before it heads to the entire City Council *Correction: The initial version of this story erroneously reported that R6B zoning includes buildings up to 13 stories; in fact, R6B zoning has a 55-foot height limit but R6 zoning—which is also part of the rezoning—could reach 13 stories Take a short anonymous survey to help us deliver content to empower our community and website in this browser for the next time I comment Δdocument.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value" Oak Bay municipal staff will draft a detailed design of traffic calming improvements for next year on McNeill Avenue and those plans will hit the public ahead of implementation from the border with Victoria through to Transit Road maintains street parking and looks to curb speeding drivers with raised crosswalks The design will also consider using curb extensions and bump-outs though council voiced a preference for the raised crosswalks and noted the raised sidewalks are preferential because they become a physical intervention to reduce speeds and could be considered throughout the entire corridor READ ALSO: Data suggests most B.C. travellers are comfortable sharing multi-use paths with e-bikes he noted removing street parking would provide a feeling of too much space for drivers Information provided at the committee meeting included a speed analysis Data collected last spring by WattConsulting Group shows that vehicles are moving between 40 and 44 km/h on the roadway at any given time McNeill Avenue has a 40 km/h posted speed limit and two 30 km/h school zones along the route to accommodate children crossing the road at crosswalks These crosswalks are located at the intersections with Victoria Avenue There is also a vehicle-activated speed sign westbound at Victoria Avenue The route has free-flowingtraffic between Foul Bay Road and Transit Road which are both all-way stop-controlled Find the full Watts report on the June 20 council agenda at oakbay.civicweb.net READ ALSO: New bike valet program opens in downtown Victoria Appleton also asked that staff consider removal of the centre line provides a poor guide for drivers to try and stay within it even when sharing the road with cyclists Staff will also reach out to Victoria to explore further safety improvements for the Foul Bay and McNeill intersection that lies in that city’s jurisdiction The plans will come to council and be available for public perusal on the Oak Bay website later this year Do you have a story tip? Email: c.vanreeuwyk@blackpress.ca. Follow us on Twitter and Instagram, and like us on Facebook. The Jacksonville Transportation Authority (JTA) Board of Directors has selected the Balfour Beatty Vision 2 Reality (V2R) Team to deliver the first phase of JTA’s Ultimate Urban Circulator (U2C) autonomous vehicle service with the Bay Street Innovation Corridor (BSIC) JTA and Balfour Beatty will move to negotiating the terms of a final contract which will also come before the board for approval later this year Stories under this byline were produced through a team effort by the editorial staff of Mass Transit To learn more about our team, click here If you have a story idea, let us know by emailing [email protected]. Please review our contributor guidelines found here the City Council’s Land Use Committee unanimously approved the Bay Street Corridor rezoning putting the Staten Island community on a clear path toward becoming the sixth neighborhood reshaped as part of the de Blasio administration’s housing plan The 19-member committee passed the rezoning plan by a 15-0 vote Costa Constantinides and Andy King) and one member on paternity leave (Stephen Levin) The final vote will be held by the City Council and then Mayor de Blasio can sign or veto the plan The subcommittee on Zoning and Franchises voted to approve the plan last week after local Councilmember Debi Rose announced what she said was a successful completion to negotiations with the city The Bay Street Corridor rezoning will be accompanied by an estimated $250 million worth of investments including funding for rebuilding the Cromwell Recreation Center street improvements along Bay Street and around the Tompkinsville and Stapleton SIR stations The rezoning proposal aims to rezone 20 blocks along the Bay Street and Canal Street corridors The Bay Street Corridor is currently a light manufacturing district and the area west of Bay Street is a lower-density residential district for one and two-family detached homes which applies to traditional row-house districts; new housing there will fall under the Mandatory Inclusionary Housing (MIH) program requiring the creation of income-targeted units The city proposes to change the zoning to R6 for medium-density residential use* Options 1 and 3 of the city’s Mandatory Inclusionary Housing Program would apply to the rezoning area Option 1 requires that 25 percent of units are affordable to families making an average of 60 percent Area Median Income (AMI) requires that 20 percent of the rent-restricted units be affordable to families making 40 percent AMI (or $37,560 for a family of three) Rose also secured 100 percent affordable housing at 539 Jersey Street (with a minimum of 20 percent of the affordable housing on the site reserved for households making less than 50 percent of AMI and 90 units of senior housing) and the New Stapleton Waterfront Site A But the rezoning deal has been met with mixed reaction Members of Staten Island Community Board 1 said they felt funding for the new Cromwell Recreation Center should have been separate from the rezoning because that was an earlier promise made by the de Blasio administration Housing and tenant advocacy groups have raised concerns about displacement One of the more vocal critics has been Staten Island Borough President James Oddo who called on the city for a full analysis of services such as police According to the environmental impact statement the rezoning will lead to an increase in housing by 2,557 dwelling units and would likely increase the population by 6,571 new residents who was not present for the Committee on Land Use vote Tuesday “All of these commitments include many strategies to ensure that the North Shore is better equipped to deal with the new housing and population growth accompanying this development I fought for the City to make good on their prior commitments and fought to respond to the stakeholders who voiced their concerns and create vital opportunities for the future of our borough.” With work anticipated this year on the long-debated east-west connector McNeill Avenue in Oak Bay the second half of the busy road remains up for discussion. council reviewed a municipal report and requested staff to provide conceptual drawings and more detailed estimates for two options in the second phase of traffic calming and cycling infrastructure This is intended for the road section extending from Falkland Road to Foul Bay Road McNeill Road is currently 8.6 metres wide and offers parking on both sides of the street there are about 71 parking spots available a recent parking survey conducted in 2021 indicated that only 15 spots are being used at any given time McNeill is a busy route with approximately 4,400 vehicles traveling on it daily READ ALSO: Parking stays, centre line may not on Oak Bay commuter road with council seeking more clarity on two of them as none came with renderings or conceptual drawings “We owe it to ourselves to see a concept drawing,” said Coun who made the first motion to see drawings and further estimate for option B “It’s due diligence for ourselves and the community to see the concept drawing before we go straight to working drawings.” Option B widens the road about two metres by moving the sidewalk to the north side of the road leaving about 4.3 metres of shared driving and cycling lane on the south side It would provide a 4.4-metre wide driving lane and a 1.7 to 1.9 metre buffered bike lane on the north side On-street parking would remain on one side of the street was the estimated cost of $850,000 to $1 million Staff also noted it would mean homeowners on the north side would lose landscaping and need to regrade driveways Option A was later added to the motion for a further look despite not being the recommendation of staff Mayor Kevin Murdoch didn’t see it as an option but rather perusing it as an opportunity to look at other potential options specifically mentioning a letter-writer who suggested changing the allowable paved surface in a front yard would provide parking READ ALSO: Richardson Street redesign continues to hear opposition in Victoria along with some concrete bulges at the intersections It would create a 3.35 metres shared driving and cycling lane on the south side of the road a 3.35-metre driving lane on the north side of the road and a 1.7 to 1.9-metre-wide buffered bike lane on the north side It would eliminate street parking between Victoria Avenue and Foul Bay Road Because concrete bulges would also be constructed in any option the cost comes down to paint – coming in around $10,000 Paint on the ground is not a viable option and needs to be dismissed “(That’s) no longer how active transportation infrastructure is established,” he said wanting to see a detailed design for option B Staff hoped council would select an option for detailed design to have something in place by fall Despite the added step they hope to have something shovel ready for grant intake time from Transit Road to Falkland Road is expected to get underway this year The district hopes to get design for the second phase – Falkland Road to Foul Bay Road – done this year The safety project has garnered a lot of feedback in form of letters and a handful of speakers each time the project is up for discussion in council chambers. Follow the project online at connect.oakbay.ca/mcneill-avenue-redesign READ ALSO: The Last Resort: Oak Bay photographer shares images of Maui before the fire and the information within may be out of date Police reported 25 new residential break and enters in Toronto City Centre between May 3 and May 9 That’s five more than were reported during the previous week (you can find the latest reports for the city’s other neighbourhoods here) Toronto’s overall weekly incidents rose by 20 to 63 bringing the city’s preliminary total for 2022 to 869 — down five per cent compared to the same period last year One new residential break and enter was reported for Bay Street Corridor It took place at an apartment near Elizabeth Street and Foster Place on Sunday There have been 11 residential break and enters reported in Bay Street Corridor in 2022 One new residential break and enter was reported for Blake-Jones It took place at an apartment in the Harcourt Avenue and Pape Avenue area on Friday There have been three residential break and enters reported in Blake-Jones in 2022 Two new residential break and enters were reported for Cabbagetown-South St The first took place at an apartment in the Jarvis Street and Sirman Lane area on Thursday The second occurred at an apartment in the Rose Avenue and Wellesley Street East area on Monday There have been three residential break and enters reported in Cabbagetown-South St One new residential break and enter was reported for Dovercourt-Wallace Emerson-Junction It took place at an apartment near Perth Avenue and Wallace Avenue on Monday There have been 12 residential break and enters reported in Dovercourt-Wallace Emerson-Junction in 2022 One new residential break and enter was reported for East End-Danforth It took place at a house near Lyall Avenue and Main Street on Thursday There have been eight residential break and enters reported in East End-Danforth in 2022 One new residential break and enter was reported for Forest Hill North It took place at a house near Burmont Road and Ridelle Avenue on Friday This was the first residential break and enter reported in Forest Hill North in 2022 One new residential break and enter was reported for High Park-Swansea It occurred at a house in the Armadale Avenue and Larkin Avenue area on Wednesday There have been eight residential break and enters reported in High Park-Swansea in 2022 Two new residential break and enters were reported for Kensington-Chinatown The first took place at an apartment in the Bathurst Street and Wolseley Street area on Tuesday The second took place at a house near Beverley Street and Cecil Street on Monday There have been 18 residential break and enters reported in Kensington-Chinatown in 2022 One new residential break and enter was reported for Lawrence Park South It occurred at a house near Avenue Road and Cortleigh Boulevard on Sunday There have been six residential break and enters reported in Lawrence Park South in 2022 One new residential break and enter was reported for Moss Park It took place at an apartment in the George Street and Richmond Street East area on Wednesday There have been 12 residential break and enters reported in Moss Park in 2022 One new residential break and enter was reported for Mount Pleasant West It took place at an apartment in the Dunfield Avenue and Soudan Avenue area on Wednesday There have been 19 residential break and enters reported in Mount Pleasant West in 2022 Three new residential break and enters were reported for Niagara The first occurred at a house in the Crawford Street and Queen Street West area on Monday The second took place at an apartment near Fleet Street and Grand Magazine Street on Wednesday The third occurred at an apartment near Angelique Street and Fort York Boulevard on Monday There have been 18 residential break and enters reported in Niagara in 2022 One new residential break and enter was reported for Regent Park It took place at a house near Sackville Street and Shuter Street on Saturday There have been two residential break and enters reported in Regent Park in 2022 One new residential break and enter was reported for Roncesvalles It occurred at an apartment near Cunningham Avenue and O’hara Avenue on Friday There have been nine residential break and enters reported in Roncesvalles in 2022 One new residential break and enter was reported for South Parkdale It took place at an apartment near King Street West and Spencer Avenue on Sunday There have been 15 residential break and enters reported in South Parkdale in 2022 One new residential break and enter was reported for The Annex It took place at an apartment in the Bedford Road and Prince Arthur Avenue area on Friday There have been 17 residential break and enters reported in The Annex in 2022 One new residential break and enter was reported for University It took place at a house in the Lippincott Street and Vankoughnet Street area on Thursday There have been 13 residential break and enters reported in University in 2022 One new residential break and enter was reported for Waterfront Communities It took place at an apartment in the Mariner Terrace and Navy Wharf Court area on Thursday There have been 29 residential break and enters reported in Waterfront Communities in 2022 One new residential break and enter was reported for Weston-Pellam Park It took place at a house in the Osler Street and Pelham Avenue area on Friday There have been four residential break and enters reported in Weston-Pellam Park in 2022 One new residential break and enter was reported for Woodbine Corridor It took place at an apartment near Ashland Avenue and Coxwell Avenue on Wednesday There have been seven residential break and enters reported in Woodbine Corridor in 2022 One new residential break and enter was reported for Wychwood It occurred at an apartment near Rushton Road and St There have been three residential break and enters reported in Wychwood in 2022 Find the latest reports of residential break and enters for Toronto’s other neighbourhoods This story was automatically generated using open data collected and maintained by Toronto Police Service. The incidents were reported by police in the past week and reportedly occurred in the past two weeks, but recent crime data is preliminary and subject to change upon further police investigation The locations have been offset to the nearest intersection and no personal information has been included for privacy reasons Your browser is out of date and potentially vulnerable to security risks.We recommend switching to one of the following browsers: The first phase of an autonomous people mover system could be carrying passengers up and down Bay Street by June 2025 JTA held community updates Monday so people could learn more about the Ultimate Urban Circulator called U2C for short — a conversion of the Skyway that has been in the planning for years The first of three phases will consist of 14 autonomous electric vans carrying people between the Jacksonville Center for the Performing Arts area to Everbank Field Vystar Veterans Memorial Arena and 121 Financial Ballpark Construction will begin soon to modify the first 3.2-mile stretch of Bay Street with 12 bus stops for the autonomous vans JTA also will build an Autonomous Innovation Center at Bay and Jefferson streets where the entire $65 million system will be monitored “It is about micro-mobility and providing almost door-to-door service,” said Angie Williams “Think about you finding a parking space and you want to go someplace else on Bay Street,” she said “You have to go back to your car; you have to move your car and not have to be inconvenienced by moving a car or finding another parking space.” then jog onto Hogan Street before jumping onto Independent Drive the first stop at the Riverfront Plaza park now under construction The vehicles will move up Newnan Street and onto East Bay Street with a stop at a planned city park there then head east past Berkman Plaza and the planned Shipyards West park The hotel and marina could see the U2C vehicle loop into them for the stop The U2C vehicles will then head west on Gator Bowl Boulevard before traveling north around the 121 Financial Ballpark Philip Randolph Boulevard past Vystar Veterans Memorial Arena (another stop) and Intuition to rejoin East Bay Street The next stop will be at Catherine Street across from the fire museum and USS Orleck naval museum then more stops at Newman and Main streets The Autonomous Innovation Center at West Bay and North Jefferson streets will include staff to monitor the U2C vehicles via their on-board cameras The central control system will have a rooftop solar microgrid to supply power to its systems as well as to recharge the vehicles which will stop there between their routes “We want that to be the center where all things autonomous vehicle happens,” Williams said “Right now we have shovels in the ground we did an electrical relocation in partnership with JEA and you will see work now being done.” sonar and radar guidance and detection systems able to navigate around cars and pedestrians interact with each other and react to stoplights and crosswalks Some changes will be made along the Bay Street corridor with sensors and camera to support them as they move among the usual automotive traffic There also will be covered U2C stops with benches and automated information on them “It would include a kiosk that gives directional information,” she said “We have worked very close with our Jacksonville Transportation Advisory Committee to make sure we have either audio or (Braille) because we want the stations to be branded as one of the best ADA stations for everyone to use.” Some of the U2C stops also will be transfer points for regular buses an attendant will be aboard the vehicles to ensure “safe and smooth operation,” and educate new riders on autonomous vehicle service there are multiple auto-stop systems in case something — or someone — pulls in front “We have pedestrian detectors and we have cameras all throughout the corridor as well as on the vehicles,” Williams said “The safety attendant is there for one year and a part of that is that there are a lot of people who are really apprehensive about this type of technology.” The second of the U2C’s three phases will start with conversion of the existing 2.5-mile Skyway system in parts of Downtown and San Marco into an elevated roadway for autonomous vehicles Ramps will allow the autonomous vehicles to travel from Bay Street to the overhead roadways all the way to a stop at the Jacksonville Regional Transportation Center at LaVilla The U2C vehicles also will cross the Acosta Bridge to the Southbank and become a 10-mile system The U2C’s third phase will connect to the city’s Brooklyn and Riverside area’s new condominiums with funding available now for project engineering the overall plan has met skepticism in some parts of the community Opponents say the technology is not advanced enough to justify the cost The estimated cost of all three phases could be as much as $400 million for a full build-out The first phase’s funding includes a $12.5 million grant from the U.S $13 million from the Florida Department of Transportation $1 million from the North Florida Transportation Planning Organization and $22.5 million from JTA which also is providing in-kind services for work The second phase will soon be put out to bid That $246 million phase will be funded through the extension of the local option gas tax JTA will hold its annual Autonomous Vehicle Day Conference from 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. May 31 at its Test and Learn Facility at 3191 Armsdale Road. The conference, open to the public, will focus on the present and future of autonomous technology. That will include the U2C, with AV platform companies, transportation officials and fleet operators on hand. Information and registration is at autonomousvehicleday.com An earlier version of this story misidentified Angie Williams Some statements about U2C operations also have been updated By Heather Henderson The report suggests replacing the current jail with a new facility that has its own infirmary and separate buildings for different types of inmates The plan includes $92M for the long-awaited Lyons Pool complex A proposal to rezone part of Staten Island’s north shore won support from a crucial City Council subcommittee Thursday—clearing a key hurdle on its way to becoming the de Blasio administration’s sixth neighborhood rezoning The city-initiated proposal seeks to bring a boom of apartments and office space to a 14 block-stretch known as the Bay Street corridor which runs through Tompkinsville and Stapleton Council member Debi Rose had given tentative support for the project she fully backed the plan and touted a $250 million package of investments secured for the area “I believe we have reached a plan that will meet the needs of our neighborhoods but more importantly will be a roadmap to a new investment in and create vital opportunities for the future of our borough,” said Rose before the Subcommittee on Zoning and Franchises vote City planners project the rezoning will spur 1,800 new apartment on the corridor—up to 673 units would be set aside at below-market-rate rents—to house some 6,500 residents on the corridor which is currently zoned for mostly manufacturing uses developers will have the option to either allow 25 percent of a given building’s rents at about $1,441/month for a family of three earning an average of $57,660 or less or to set aside 20 percent of a building’s units at an average rent of $961/month for households making $38,440 or less The proposal is advancing on to the City Council’s Land Use Committee without work force housing, which would have create apartments with rents up to $3,169/month for a family of three with a maximum income of $126,765, THE CITY first reported Big wins for the north shore include a commitment to build a new Cromwell Recreation Center a 3.5-acre complex on a pier that is all but demolished And a $92 million pledge to build a community center at Tompkinsville’s Lyons Pool complex The funds for the new space will be allocated in the 2020 fiscal year budget and the center is expected to open its doors to the community by 2025 Other commitments include 12 acres of waterfront esplanade and two new schools and an annex for an existing elementary school but with guidance and input from my constituents and many stakeholders I have secured the necessary funding and commitments for the next chapter of the story of the north shore,” Rose said Thursday “For too long planning on Staten Island has been haphazard or non-exinsistant we have a blueprint for a well planned future.” Oddo charged that the current package of neighborhood commitments won’t be able to meet the demands of a surge of new residents “What you won’t see in this rezoning announcement is as critically important as what you do see,” Oddo said in a statement “You won’t see any genuine effort to stop the already awful traffic and transit reality from getting exponentially worse let alone being mitigated to some degree.” community leaders and even members of the City Planning Commission raised concerns about affordable housing infrastructure and the local economy during the City Planning Commission’s public meeting Wednesday on the city’s Bay Street Corridor rezoning proposal Opposition to the current Bay Street rezoning plan has come from neighborhood leaders the Community Board representing the Bay Street Corridor and Borough President James Oddo who has said he would not recommend approval of the plan until it met conditions such as improved infrastructure and transportation Critics of the rezoning plan said they feared displacement of unregulated tenants and small businesses City Planning Commission (CPC) members Allen Capelli and Alfred Cerullo tag-teamed the questioning of city agencies and members of the public who testified on the rezoning proposal began the hearing by saying that the rezoning plan for Bay Street has been “40 years in the making.” The city’s Department of Housing Preservation and Development was the first to testify and CPC members focused on the Mandatory Inclusionary Housing (MIH) options mapped out in the rezoning plan MIH requires developers who take advantage of the additional density created by a rezoning to set aside a portion of the new apartments for specified income groups The MIH law created four different affordability options–differing in the share of apartments to be set aside and their income ranges Each rezoning plan adopts a tailored set of options–either one choice that applies to all developments or multiple options from which developers can choose Option 2 allows developers to set aside 30 percent of units for families making an average of 80 percent AMI (or $65,250 for a family of three) The sheer number of options on the table in Bay Street troubled some CPC members the community board has outlined all four options and thus far in any city sponsored rezoning we haven’t mapped out all four MIH options and I am wondering what the needs are and what the data showed?,” asked Commissioner Michelle De La Uz “During the public process we heard a wide range of what people wanted we mapped all four choices as the most prudent choice to allow this public process to inform the public decision,” answered Michael Sandler DCP Director of Neighborhood Planning “I will say zoning has a very long time frame and the housing market that exists today may not be the case in 10 Cerullo asked how HPD engaged with tenants and homeowners Sandler said the housing agency has already connected with 12,000 tenants through door knocking robo calling and mailings which are typical forms of outreach used by the housing agency but connecting with homeowners has been difficult Although affordable housing policies for the Bay Street rezoning are in the early planning stages the NYC Economic Development Corporation said the plan could not have come at better time for the new development in the area NYCEDC Senior Vice President of Development Cecilia Kushner said the first phase of the New Stapleton Waterfront plan(a Bloomberg-era plan to revitalize the decommissioned U.S additional ferry service to the city had started and additional development of public space retail and affordable housing opportunities would happen in the near future “We are very excited by the Bay Street Corridor rezoning plan because we think it’s going to bring all the pieces of the puzzle together.” Traffic and transportation have been important issues for Staten Island residents and CPC Commissioners Capelli and Cerullo wasted no time bringing up the issue “Traffic is on of the more critical issues What is the DOT going to do for the increased density and traffic?” “Traffic signal timing is key here,” Tom Cocola Department of Transportation Staten Island Commissioner He added there were plans to use state-of-the-art technology for the traffic signal system that could improve traffic on Bay Street Corridor but added that his team would have to keep a eye on pedestrian traffic from the ferry service because the Vision Zero program is also important for the borough Capelli and Cerullo also repeatedly asked different agencies to explore the idea for a ferry service from Staten Island to Brooklyn Capelli told NYCEDC erry service between the two boroughs would bring potential jobs and consumers to the local economy With empty storefronts near the entrance to the ferry terminal and across Bay Street Corridor CPC Commissioner Lariza Ortiz questioned Michael Blaise Backer Deputy Commissioner at Small Business Services and head of its Neighborhood Development Division about how much vacancy existed and if the city had “over supplied” the area with retail Blaise Backer said the SBS did not collect data on vacant storefronts themselves but worked with the Staten Island Chambers of Commerce The agency has been working with small businesses and plans on continuing their work in the area He promised to get data for the CPC to review before their vote A sore topic for many Staten Island residents has been the long-delayed renovation of Cromwell Recreation Center which was destroyed by Hurricane Sandy in 2012 It was the only recreation center that served the North Shore community and became a focal point for critics of the Bay Street Corridor rezoning plan jumped at the chance to question the city’s Parks and Recreation Department about the Cromwell Recreation Center “Let me ask the most obvious question: Where is Cromwell NYC Department of Parks & Recreation spoke about a feasibility study that acknowledged the Lyons public pool center had the capacity to replace some of the services Cromwell once provided Cerullo looked disappointed with the answer “It is now five years which predates even this application.” Critics such as the Let’s Rebuild Cromwell Coalition and Bay Street Corridor Local Advisory Committee have said in past interviews with City Limits that the renovation of the Cromwell Recreation Center should be separate from the rezoning package because it was a promise made to the community long before the rezoning plan existed Although not required to testify during this particular public meeting Director of Wastewater Review and Special Projects from the city’s Department of Environmental Protection dropped by to answer questions about infrastructure Capelli and Celluro asked Estesen questions about sewage and drainage in the area Esetesan said the area’s infrastructure has a combined sewer system He explained that the drainage plan would essentially “separate the sewers” which is when collected stormwater is directed into the ocean and collected sewage is directed to the treatment plant “There are pros and cons here,” he said “We are still developing a drainage plan for immediate needs and monitoring flow.” The public meeting is part of the Uniform Land Use Review Procedure (ULURP) that started after the City Planning Commission certified the Bay Street Corridor rezoning proposal and the Department of City Planning (DCP) released a draft environmental impact statement in November. The rezoning is part the de Blasio administration housing plan to create and preserve 300,000 affordable housing units partly through rezoning up to 15 neighborhoods across the city The city proposes to change the zoning to R6B for medium-density residential use* The proposal also includes the development of two city-owned properties; 55 Stuyvesant Place and 539 Jersey Street for job creation and mixed-use (commercial and residential) development with affordable housing Staten Island Community Board 1 rejected the proposal “with conditions” in January and Borough President James Oddo followed suit by also rejecting the proposal “with conditions” last Friday with the exception of the city-owned property at 539 Jersey Street which was approved “with conditions” as long as the attached mandatory inclusionary housing options were more inclusive The community board did vote in favor of two related applications for the both city-owned properties; 55 Stuyvesant Place and the Jersey Street sanitation lot The board placed conditions on those approvals such as the requirement that the Jersey Street site include a library or have an educational space for children When it comes to the full rezoning plan, Oddo listed several conditions and commitments that needed to be met by city before the plan moves forward to the City Council for a vote Oddo’s office saw deficiencies in infrastructure and transportation street drainage and storm storage capacity He also wants current bus service should be modified to address existing overcrowded conditions on the S78 and S74 bus service within the Bay Street Corridor Oddo’s conditions also called for Mandatory Inclusionary Housing optionsfrom Options 1 and 2 while making options to provide availability from 40 percent to 115 percent of the Area Median Income (which ranges $37,560 to $93,840 for a family of three) including the Workforce option for the rezoning plan It also called for MIH Options 1 and 2 for all city-owned properties within the New Stapleton Waterfront project area and to any other city-owned parcel within the Bay Street Corridor For the 55 Stuyvesant application for a total commercial property he rejected the proposal “with conditions” that it be dedicated to “21st century tech hub and job incubator” with no type of housing he also requested city-owned properties on the waterfront should also include affordable housing options The borough president’s office also called on city for a full analysis of services such as police Oddo wants assistance for residents and small businesses who may be displaced due to the rezoning through city programs; the creation of new schools and publicly-funded child care centers improvements to public open space and the long-awaited renovation of the Cromwell Recreation Center “This new facility should build upon the seventy four years of community dependability synonymous with ‘Cromwell Center”‘ This is a debt the city owes to the residents of the North Shore and all Staten Islanders and it should remain an essential part [Bay Street rezoning plan],” Oddo stated in his recommendation letter for the city “In order to reimagine the Bay Street Corridor consistent with the desired goals of the proposed rezoning the aforementioned issues must be sufficiently addressed to deliver on previous commitments to the borough and serve the future demands of more people vehicles and the constant demand for more services,” Oddo wrote Neither the community board recommendation nor Oddo’s opinion are binding under ULURP The upcoming Planning Commission vote is binding as are the eventual City Council decision and the mayor’s signature or veto community leaders want more commitments from the city The distrust from the Staten Island community has built up over the years after failed projects such as the long awaited renovations of the Cromwell recreation center the scrapped plan for a Nascar speedway in 2006 and the New York Wheel Kelly Vilar from Let’s Rebuild Cromwell Coalition listed several complaints about the plan including the lack of deep affordable housing options and “no creative plan for the [local] economy]….Cromwell is not a benefit One of the founders of the Staten Island’s Housing Dignity Coalition spoke about how the city’s Mandatory Inclusionary Housing options for the Bay Street rezoning did not help alleviate the affordability issues that exist in the community already “There are many folks that are only one paycheck away from homelessness,” said Reverend Janet Jones of Rossville A.M.E “This puts millions of dollars in the pockets of developers and does little benefit for the North Shore community We are here for equity in housing and reject MIH option 2 and 4 We ask that the CPC not endorse a plan that does not do justice for the Staten Island residents.” a member of Staten Island’s Housing Dignity Coalition “This feels like another City Planning hostage situation advocates on the North Shore called for real investments in the community and were largely ignored hangs it over the head of Staten Island residents and says you can get some good here if you accept the Bay Street rezoning proposal.” Lopez said the MIH was flawed and questioned the zoning especially as it pertains to areas that would shift from manufacturing to residential “A developer moving from R6 to R6A must set aside a minimum 20 percent of units A developer moving from M1-1 to R6A must set aside the same minimum 20 percent And why have we mapped all four options in a community where 43 percent of the families earn below $50,000 and 75 percent of those families are rent burdened This signals to us that the only plan here is to successfully displace the neediest families,” he told the CPC in his testimony Lopez said currently 80 percent of tenants in Staten Island do not have tenant protections and the only protections that can be guaranteed are if the state legislature passes universal rent control laws He told the CPC the de Blasio administration should pause all rezonings until state legislation passes rent regulations and tenant protection laws The next step in the ULURP process is a vote by the City Planning Commission the proposal will be voted on by the City Council’s Subcommittee on Zoning and Franchises before advancing to the full Land-Use Committee and then the entire City Council Although Councilmember Debi Rose did not testify at the hearing her vote will carry the most weight when the proposal reaches the Council She will have a chance to negotiate terms and conditions of the rezoning during the process Why upzone an area with no subway connection to Manhattan All the other rezoned and proposed rezonings are in areas with subway connections Adding ~6000 people to the SI Railway or the local buses makes no sense The SI Railway is already packed with passengers from the east and south shores by the time it gets to Grasmere Debi Rose needs to be more involved in this matter AND SERVICES in the Bay Street Corridor to support current demands and future growth A Staten Island community board quashed the plan with a 37-3 vote against amid calls for changes Staten Island’s Community Board 1 overwhelming voted against a proposal to rezone a stretch of Bay Street on the borough’s north shore this week demanding the plan beef up the area’s transportation infrastructure and include additional affordable housing commitments Some 250 locals packed into All Saints Episcopal Church on Victory Boulevard Tuesday for a five-hour meeting on the de Blasio administration’s rezoning plan says it was one of the most contentious meetings he’s attended in his 30 years on the board “It’s a multi-faceted application and there are many facets that folks have issues with,” says Accornero I think we’ve had a problem with city proposals that made promises that weren’t kept that make the community skeptical.… We also have tremendous transportation issues in that area of St and I think it was a universal feeling that a large influx of housing would bring additional issues and there was apprehension that the city won’t step up to the plate to solve them.” The rezoning is part of the mayor’s initiative to create and preserve 300,000 affordable housing units in part through rezoning as many as 15 neighborhoods across the five boroughs The City Planning Commission certified the much-anticipated proposal into the public review process known as the Uniform Land Use Review Procedure (ULURP) in November It’s a proposal that spans several neighborhoods (St Tompkinsville and Stapleton) in a roughly 14-block area bounded by Victory Boulevard and Sands Street along with a two-block area along Canal Street south of Bay Street It’s set to bring approximately 1,800 mixed-income apartments to the area The corridor is currently a light manufacturing district and the R3X district west of Bay Street is a lower-density residential district with one- and two-family detached homes which falls under the Mandatory Inclusionary Housing program requiring the creation of affordable units the expansive proposal includes the development of two city-owned properties (55 Stuyvesant Place and 539 Jersey Street) for commercial and residential use A pair of special mixed-use districts—the Special St George District and the Special Stapleton Waterfront District—will be expanded It’s the first time the Bay and Canal street corridors have faced zoning changes since 1961 Locals have a variety of reservations about the plan—namely, fears that it will overburden the area’s infrastructure, including transportation, school capacity, public spaces, and access to the area’s spare supermarkets. Some locals are weary of the plan since other big projects that the city emphatically pitched did not pan out—most recently, and spectacularly, New York Wheel which was discontinued due to funding and legal issues Staten Island City Council member Debi Rose whose vote will weigh heavily once the rezoning snakes through ULURP and makes it to the council for a final vote “It was gratifying to see so many local residents take part in [Tuesday’s] community board meeting,” Rose said in a statement “My focus since this rezoning was first proposed has always been about holistic planning infrastructure—including recreation facilities and everything needed to make our neighborhoods function I have heard the concerns of local residents and I will take those with me to the negotiating table as the public review process continues.” The Department of City Planning stressed that it is open to weaving local feedback into the plan “We were clear up front: not only have we already funded and implemented enhancements for this area the City will continue to listen to input from the public and elected officials throughout the public review process,” says Joe Marvilli “This will allow us to prioritize the most important investments to help the neighborhoods along Bay Street thrive.” Displacement fears were also stoked due to the plan with the city’s draft environmental impact statement finding that an estimated 1,752 residents in unregulated housing are at risk of indirect displacement the city will set aside 30 percent of the proposed new units as permanently affordable and include a provision of affordable housing for a portion of locals vulnerable to indirect displacement Some who support the plan agree with CB1’s call to address the area’s sorely-needed infrastructure upgrades but feel the rezoning will ultimately be a boon to the community and real estate interests I think the community board’s concern—making sure that the city provides the right infrastructure to accommodate for this density—is valid and I think that has to be a part of the plan as well But I think overall—as a general concept—this is absolutely the right way to go for New York City and the community at large,” says Jakub Nowak a commercial real estate broker at Marcus & Millichap with a focus on Staten Island this is just based on very basic economic theory You add to the supply side of the equation and you’re going to lower prices over all and you’re going to add to the competition Now that the community board has passed judgement on the plan the proposal heads to Staten Island Borough President James Oddo’s office for review it will head to the City Planning Commission for approval and finally to the City Council for a vote The Staten Island BP calls the rezoning a “boondoggle” while activists say it is “irresponsible” A proposal to rezone a stretch of Staten Island’s north shore passed the City Planning Commission (CPC) on Monday despite simmering concerns that a spike in density will overburden the area’s infrastructure and create housing that is unattainable for locals the commission approved the city-initiated rezoning that would bring a swell of new apartments and office space to a 14 block-span known as the Bay Street corridor The city estimates it will add 1,800 new apartments into the area—up to 30 percent would be set aside for below-market-rate units—to house some 6,500 residents on the sleepy corridor which at the moment is zoned for mostly manufacturing uses CPC chair Marisa Lago touted the proposal’s vision for Staten Island’s north shore “I’m pleased that the Bay Street corridor rezoning is more than just a rezoning it’s a vision for a future community that provides new affordable housing options and allows residents to live or public transit distance of their home,” said Lago noting that she’s “confident” lingering concerns can be addressed in conversations leading up to the final City Council vote But the rezoning has faced opposition from locals and elected officials Staten Island’s Community Board 1 voted to reject the majority of the changes after a heated five-hour meeting where borough residents vented their concerns chiefly that there must be a greater commitment to low-income housing and the need for significant infrastructure investments which have lived on this island for decades who weighed in during January’s community board vote “But if that’s done without adding schools really figuring out how to meet the peoples needs before the changes then of course they’ll be problems down the road.” Some North Shore schools are packed hundreds past capacity And locals have long-asked for expanded bus service Staten Island Borough President Jimmy Oddo followed the community board’s lead and largely opposed the rezoning calling it a “boondoggle” that creates “entirely new neighborhoods with absolutely no foresight or consideration of infrastructure and community concerns.” we have implored the de Blasio administration to focus on infrastructure first before they dictated any zoning or rules changes that would allow a dramatic spike in housing density along the Bay Street Corridor and beyond,” Oddo said in a statement “At every turn our pleas for collaboration and a willingness to address current and future needs have been delayed the Staten Island Housing Dignity Coalition—which is made up of community groups and churches on the north shore—said it is “deeply disappointed” that the CPC is advancing the rezoning we are not against much needed investment in this area but we are against an irresponsible rezoning plan advanced by an administration that is ignoring the voices of Staten Islanders,” the group said and $3.7 million to create public spaces around the Tompkinsville Station on the Staten Island Railway and $500,000 for streetscape improvements such as lighting and benches Department of Transportation officials say the agency is looking into a new Bus Rapid Transit line a reconfiguration of the streets leading to the Cromwell Center “These are initial investments with more to come as the proposal moves through [the Uniform Land Use Review Procedure] To ensure that the right strategies are implemented at the right time DOT and DCP will commit to a Traffic Monitoring Program to track development over time,” DCP said in a statement “This will allow us to adjust the scope and timing of mitigation measures as we know more about the timing of new development and effects on roads whose vote in the council carries more heft as the local lawmaker has her reservations about the plan and calls for significant improvements to transportation and sewer for it to work for north shore residents this rezoning would be a good plan for the future of North Shore residents and small businesses,” Rose said in a statement “We move to continued negotiations in coming weeks that will be crucial for the future of this project Thoughtful planning and a commitment to infrastructure will reap a successful rezoning.” Of the commissioners who voted against the plan questioned the wisdom of continued talks as the proposal heads into the final hurdles of the land use process: review by the council ahead of a make-or-break vote Shouldn’t we be analyzing these plans to ensure that these decision that shape neighborhoods make sense?” Cerullo said before casting his vote The vote caps a years-long process to rezone State Island’s north shore The City Council approved a proposal to rezone part of Staten Island’s north shore Thursday after four years of review—paving the way for the disputed plan to become the de Blasio administration’s sixth neighborhood rezoning and Staten Island Borough President Jimmy Oddo vocally opposes the plan calling it short-sighted and lacking in city infrastructure and transportation commitments But City Council member Debi Rose pushed back on criticism during Thursday’s vote and touted the $250 million package of “unprecedented” investments her office negotiated with the city She is “proud” of the package she ultimately secured “This has not been an easy process but I pursued it willingly to address depressing need for housing and to secure the public investments that are long deserved,” said Rose “Too many people are fearful that rising housing costs across the city will someday force them out of their longtime neighborhoods These fears are real and this plan address them.” The council approved the rezoning in a 44-2 vote with Staten Island council members Joe Borelli and Steven Matteo the only lawmakers to oppose to the plan The city puts most recent estimates of homes created by the rezoning at approximately 2,600 new apartments some 450 units are earmarked as permanently affordable homes through the city’s Mandatory Inclusionary Housing program with another 850 below-market-rate units slated for city-owned sites on the north shore The de Blasio administration also expects the rezoning to spur the creation of some 1,000 jobs in the area Key items secured amid the review process include a $92 million commitment to build a new Cromwell Recreation Center —a 3.5-acre complex on a pier that is all but demolished Funds for the project will be included in the 2020 fiscal year budget and the center is expected to open its doors by 2025 Also part of the deal include the development of 12 acres of waterfront esplanade and two new schools along with an annex for an existing elementary school the city has dedicated funding for 1,776 school seats to the north shore the land use chair of Community Board 1 called the majority of the city’s commitments “a lot of fluff” and pointed to a dearth of improvements for mass transit and capacity on the Bay Street corridor itself “I have trouble considering it mitigation because I don’t believe there’s adequate infrastructure built into the plan,” said Accornero who was disappointed that a homeless shelter initially eyed for 44 Victory Boulevard was left off the table amid discussions “The rezoning provides such potential for an influx of people to the area and just doesn’t provide anywhere near the infrastructure to support them.” the Department of City Planning says it is “leading a larger coordinated effort with an interagency team.” This includes studying new traffic signals the Department of Transportation says it is looking into a new Bus Rapid Transit line and will work with DCP on a Traffic Monitoring Program to track development over time and “adjust the scope and timing of mitigation measures” as new development unfolds But such measures are a far cry from concrete improvements needed to prepare the area for a boom of newcomers and weak-willed to create entirely new neighborhoods with absolutely no foresight or consideration of infrastructure and community concerns,” Oddo told Curbed in April this behavior shows a complete disregard for the interests of Staten Island.” the City Planning Commission voted 8-3 on Monday in favor of the city-initiated rezoning plan for the Bay Street Corridor in Staten Island The proposal will now move on to the City Council for possible approval The eight votes included CPC Chair Marisa Lago and Vice Chair Kenneth Knuckles The three no votes came from Commissioners  Alfred Cerullo The two absent Commissioners were David Burney and Michelle de la Uz Commissioner Lago praised the hard work of Councilmember Debbie Rose and Borough President James Oddo “I’m pleased that the Bay Street Corridor neighborhood plan is more than just a rezoning It’s a vision for a future community that provides new affordable housing options and allows residents to live or public transit distance of their homes,” said Lago Although her vote was in favor of the rezoning Lago said she understood there were community concerns on affordability and infrastructure needs she felt those issues would be addressed before the City Council vote “I’m confident that many of these issues some of which extend beyond the rezoning actions before the commission “These conversations continue long after rezoning has been adopted.” a Staten Island resident and a former community board member said he agreed with some parts of the plan but felt disappointed that the borough president’s suggestions regarding infrastructure investment were not taken seriously “This is the culmination of probably 40 years worth of effort on the part of people because I got involved in this particular issue as the land use chairman of community board 1 back in the late seventies We finally got there and I support the vision that is being laid out here,” said Capelli “And I think that borough presidents virtually all of the borough presidents we have today can and should be playing a greater role in the in a formalized sense in the uniform land use review procedure There’s a lot that still needs to take place in this.” Capelli also referenced a hope that the City Council process would allow for further negotiations on the infrastructure improvements and affordability needs of the Staten Island community was less confident that the next phase of ULURP would create a better plan He said this rezoning was “just one part of a changing geography” alongside the Stapleton Waterfront District and Special St He criticized the lack of commitments for new schools or police precincts despite the thousands of new residents projected to come into the neighborhood our bravest and our residents deserve better,” he said Cerullo questioned the City Planning Commission’s dependency on the City Council to improve the city’s plan Shouldn’t we be analyzing these plans to ensure that these decisions that shape neighborhoods make sense?”  He added the borough president’s “simple” conditions for the rezoning plan such as sewer projects plans and studies were easy commitments for the city to make During the City Planning Commission public hearing in February NYCEDC Senior Vice President of Development Cecilia Kushner said in her testimony the first phase of the New Stapleton Waterfront plan (a Bloomberg-era plan to revitalize the decommissioned U.S In January, Staten Island Community Board 1 rejected the proposal “with conditions” and in February Oddo followed suit by also rejecting the proposal “with conditions” (with the exception of the city-owned property at 539 Jersey Street which was approved “with conditions” as long as the attached mandatory inclusionary housing options were more inclusive) On Monday morning, Oddo, in his borough newsletter warned the De Blasio administration that in order for more density to be absorbed and called anything less from the city to be “irresponsible.” He said the administration had not given him a response to his list of conditions Oddo acknowledged the mayor-controlled commission would pass the rezoning plan in spite of those shortcomings but added: “The process then goes to the City Council is the chance for Staten islanders and their elected officials to draw their line in the sand should be our thin red line of defense: Make these commitments or take your rezoning back to City Hall.” the proposal will be voted on by the City Council’s Subcommittee on Zoning and Franchises before advancing to the full Land-Use Committee and then the entire City Council Rose’s vote will carry the most weight when the proposal reaches the Council Rose says her her focus has been on affordability, transit and infrastructure measures. Last month, Rose and the city came to an agreement to invest an estimated $31 million in traffic and pedestrian safety improvements as well as new public spaces within the Bay Street Corridor plan, according to an exclusive Staten Island Advance report “The Bay Street Corridor rezoning gives us a once-in-a-generation opportunity for forward-thinking planning and substantial investments in our infrastructure Last month’s announcement of traffic and public space improvements in Tompkinsville were a down-payment on what I expect to be a series of investments in the North Shore I have been negotiating for investments and will continue to do so until we have a plan that meets the real needs of our current residents and future generations.” The latest NYU Furman Center data shows that in 2016 George and Stapleton neighborhoods of North Shore in Staten Island the average income was estimated at $66,859 14 percent higher than the rest of the city The poverty rate in the same neighborhoods was one percent higher than the entire city The area has seen modest increases in rent: In 2006 average rents were $1,156 and rent increased to $1,243 by 2016 while rents for units being advertised for lease was $1,868 in the latter year The data shows that in 2016 an estimated 34.5 percent of renter households were severely rent burdened (when 50 percent of the household income is spent on rent) Community-based organizations such as the Staten Island Housing Dignity Coalition have been vocal on affordable housing displacement and economic equity issues for the North Shore community in Staten Island One of the founding members of Staten Island Housing Dignity Coalition Pastor Janet Jones from Rossville AME Zion Church in the North Shore says the impact of the rezoning on low-income households in her community will be considerable She does not need the data to prove her community is rent burdened or that rent prices have increased because she meets with community members and her own congregation facing the financial stress in one of the more affordable communities in the five boroughs “I have families where all three generations under one roof are still having a tough time making ends meet The need for affordable housing runs across the gamut of our community and it hits the people who are earning $40,000 or less,” said Jones “The proposal as is written is not going to help these people Our fight has been and is looking at the true economic demographic of the community There is a fear of displacement for renters and those who are low-income because the [landlords] will charge what the market can bear.” the homeownership rate was 56.8 percent and the homeownership rate across Staten Island was an estimated 70 percent in 2016 PJones says the homeowners in her community have been at risk of buy-outs from speculative investors when recently one of her parishioners was approached to sell her property and a few weeks later approached again by the same group Jones says the city can come up with a better and equitable plan if they chose do it Other community groups such as the Staten Island Urban Center and North Shore Civic Association say the city missed the boat on the rezoning plan by not addressing economic equity and infrastructure improvements The SIUC gave its testimony in February at a City Planning Commision public hearing in which the center demanded the deepest affordability to match neighborhood demographics; no private development on city-owned properties; a plan for new industry; building a state-of-the-art public aquatic center investments in existing and new schools and transportation The center has also proposed the city invest in maritime career pipeline for the youth and next generation of the North Shore community “There needs to be a larger and more thoughtful plan Unfortunately the current plan will not achieve its goals completely without long term goals,” says Kelly Vilar CEO and founder of the Staten Island Urban Center “There is a generational impact in terms of jobs The outlet mall in the special districts will not build lifelong careers with dignified salaries for the next generation.” The Van Duzer Street Civic Association says the rezoning plan does not comprehensively address infrastructure improvements affordability levels and economic integration in the Bay Street Corridor “Can this area handle this right now We all would like this area to look better We would like to a range of economic backgrounds because it gels as a community and makes sense as a community where investment and job growth is encouraged for Staten Islanders,” said Priscilla Marco president of the Van Duzer Street Civic Association The distrust of the Staten Island community is not new but reflects concern and frustration from failed promises such as the long awaited renovations to the Cromwell recreation center Advocacy groups such as Make The Road New York have been working with Staten Island community meeting with elected officials including those in the de Blasio administration “I think we’ve done a ton of work and research meeting with all appropriate agencies to try and get to a place where there could be a palatable rezoning And I don’t know that we have had as much success as we would have wanted in terms of how much this rezoning can and should be molded,” said Jose Lopez Co-Director of Organizing for Make The Road New York Lopez said the focus has shifted to getting more from the rezoning plan; for example the North Shore community wants to see city-owned properties such as those on the waterfront districts to become 100 percent affordable developments They want manufacturing to residential development to include Mandatory Inclusionary Housing (MIH) The community also wants to further tenant protection programs for those tenants living in unregulated housing units including a relocation services voucher for the impacted residents But the biggest fight for advocacy groups has just started and it is over MIH options In the Mandatory Inclusionary Housing program there are four sets of affordability requirements the City Council and City Planning Commission decide which options will be available within the district if more than one option is presented in a particular neighborhood it is left up to the developer to decide which option to use when building within that rezoning area If it is single property where MIH applies then the applicant Option #1 requires developers to set aside 25 percent of units for families making an average of 60 percent AMI It also requires that at least 10 percent of the total units must be set aside for families making an average of 40 percent of the Area Median Income (AMI) or $37,560 for a family of three Option #2 requires developers to set aside 30 percent of units for families making an average of 80 percent AMI developers are allowed to use public funding to finance the projects The Deep Affordability Option or Option #3 requires that 20 percent of the rent-restricted units be affordable to families making 40 percent AMI requires that 30 percent of the rent-restricted units are affordable to families making 115 percent AMI or $93,900 for a family of three with required percentages at several different income bands Developers using the Workforce Option cannot use public funding And Options #3 and #4 cannot be applied by themselves—they must be selected alongside one or both of the first two options Both Staten Island Housing Dignity Coalition and Make The Road New York support MIH Option 3 However Oddo supports MIH Options 1 and 2 and the Workforce option for the rezoning plan Oddo’s support for a higher income bracket in the MIH program has become a sore subject for community and advocacy groups Lopez says the biggest obstacle for advocacy and community groups has been coming to an agreement with the city and the borough president on the MIH options for the rezoning plan Lopez says it is important to tell elevate tenant stories and to convince Rose that a badly planned rezoning is in fact worse than no rezoning at all After the City Planning Commission vote, Staten Island Housing Dignity Coalition said in a tweet that they were “deeply disappointed” and said they were not against investment in the area but against “irresponsible rezonings.” Rendering via Department of City Planning Update 4/23/19: The City Planning Commission voted on Monday to approve the Bay Street Corridor rezoning plan, despite opposition from Staten Island Borough President Jimmy Oddo and local community groups, City Limits reported As the plan now goes in front of the City Council housing advocates will continue to push for the rezoning to include deeply affordable units the rezoning sets aside affordable housing for middle-class professionals allowing developers to build units for households earning as much as $127,000 per year for a family of three the “affordable” apartments would rent for more than $3,000 per month As part of the city’s proposal to convert the stretch of Bay Street from manufacturing to residential 1,800 new units would be constructed to house 6,500 residents in the area Through the city’s Mandatory Inclusionary Housing (MIH) program roughly a quarter of the new residences would be income-restricted The rezoning proposal, the first in the area since 1961, comes after three years of planning between local residents, community advocates, and the city. It falls under Mayor Bill de Blasio’s Housing New York 2.0 plan to create and preserve 300,000 affordable housing units by 2026 Staten Island Borough President Jimmy Oddo has pushed the city to allow developers to build “workforce housing,” apartments designated for middle-income professionals With rents mandated at 30 percent of total income apartments could go for as much as $3,196 per month for a family of three earning $126,765 annually According to a report from the NYU Furman Center George/ Stapleton area was $1,950 per month in 2017 The rezoning proposal being voted on by CPC on Monday also requires some apartments for households earning under $38,000 per year But according to housing advocates, the rezoning does not serve more than half of the households in the district. According to the Association for Neighborhood and Housing Development (ANHD) 58 percent of households on the North Shore earn less than $75,000 per year Chris Walters of ANHD told THE CITY that the proposal allows developers to meet the affordable apartment requirement with workforce housing alone “I understand the talking point that you then provide for a range of incomes but there’s absolutely no guarantee that that’s what will play out on the ground,” Walters said In January, the Staten Island Community Board 1 voted against de Blasio’s rezoning plan with conditions that included more open space Following the CPC vote on Monday afternoon the rezoning plan will then go to the City Council [Via THE CITY] By providing your email address, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy Comment * document.getElementById("comment").setAttribute( "id" "a9cb678785e92bf467a6743d43bd5e4b" );document.getElementById("d57a537edf").setAttribute( "id" By providing your email address, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy Let us know what you are looking for and we’ll help you find the home of your dreams We’ll provide current market comps and connect you with a trusted expert By providing your email address, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.You can unsubscribe at any time The City Council approved the Bay Street Corridor rezoning Wednesday in City Hall with two dissenting votes against the city’s plan to rezone 20 blocks of Staten Island’s North Shore a move that could lead to 1,800 new units of housing There were 44 votes in favor of the rezoning plan and two votes by Staten Island Republican Councilmembers Steve Matteo and Joseph Borelli The only other Councilmember from the Island shepherded the plan through negotiations with the city and supported it strongly “After years of community engagement the Bay Street Rezoning is finally before us for a vote This long-term plan for Stapleton and Tompkinsville will transform them into neighborhoods residents have been asking for: vibrant with housing for a range of income levels with all the infrastructure residents deserve,” said Rose before the vote “This has not been an easy process but I pursued it willingly to address the pressing need for housing and to secure the public investments we have long deserved,” she said “Too many people are fearful that rising housing costs across the city will someday force them from their longtime neighborhoods The rezoning proposal aims to spur development of the Bay Street and Canal Street corridors The city proposes to change the zoning to R6 for medium-density residential use In January, Staten Island Community Board 1 rejected the proposal “with conditions”and in February Borough President James Oddo followed suit by also rejecting the proposal “with conditions” (with the exception of the city-owned property at 539 Jersey Street Earlier this month, the City Council’s Zoning and Franchises sub-committee and Land Use Committee voted unanimously in favor of the rezoning the Staten Island Housing Dignity Coalition said in an email statement that it was “pleased to have a more equitable rezoning which will bring affordable housing to a neighborhood which is in desperate need of it.” we have said that this rezoning needs to serve everyone including the neediest families on Staten Island,” the coalition said this rezoning will bring over 1,000 affordable units through MIH and public sites None of this would have been possible without Councilmember Rose’ leadership and the valiant effort of the members of our coalition.” But the Coalition said their work is not finished and they will be keeping track of tenant harassment and evictions in the area Matteo and Borelli said the rezoning proposal will lead to overcrowding and congestion in the North Shore the final agreement does not go far enough to adequately address the numerous infrastructure and traffic concerns I continue to believe this rezoning will have an adverse impact but on surrounding communities that will have to deal with the effects of increased congestion for decades to come,” said Matteo in an email statement to City Limits Borelli said “The net negatives outweigh the net positives.” Borelli said his constituents travel through the Bay Street Corridor for access to transit and highways “My constituents travel there to get access to the ferry some to the Verrazano Bridge and we share the same highways There is no mass transit infrastructure outside of the ferry and express buses and the train—so it’s all interconnected The idea that people will move to this development and not need cars is asinine.” Many skeptics of the deal argued that the investments Rose won were owed to—and might even have already been promised to—the community before the rezoning was even on the table They feel the mayor paid for a new deal with old IOUs “How much of this deal is a deal?” asked Priscilla Marco from Van Duzer Street Civic Association Bay Street represents the sixth rezoning achieved by the de Blasio administration which has pursued a strategy of adding density to particular city neighborhoods in order to create more housing Jerome Avenue and Inwood have been rezoned already Proposals to rezone Bushwick and Gowanus are under public review and a rezoning of part of the Southern Boulevard Corridor in the Bronx is also possible De Blasio initially set out to rezone as many as 15 neighborhoods as part of his plan to build or preserve 300,000 units of income-targeted housing but it is unclear whether the administration will pursue neighborhood-wide rezonings beyond the current list of nine this rezoning generated de minimus community improvements: schools were already in the works and the Cromwell Center was very specifically NOT a part of the plan “Affordable” is a very relative term – these will be affordable to people coming in from out of the community Insufficient allocation for people on limited incomes Staten Island has no chance of becoming the next Williamsburg Staten Island doesn’t want to become the next Williamsburg We like being left alone in our quiet safe borough Adding 6,000 people will overburden the north shore’s ancient infrastructure no assurances of day to day commercial businesses- another win for real estate developers These are weak or non exixtent trade offs for some minimal housing gains Denser residential zoning only puts greater demand on an ancient infrastructure that hasn’t been changed since I was a kid in the 1960’s ‘…ancient infrastructure that hasn’t been changed since I was a kid in the 1960’s…’ I live on the east shore and we have ‘new’ Staten Island water mains – they were installed in 1923 The first phase of a 10-mile autonomous people mover system could be shuttling through Downtown by 2025 — and later to San Marco and Riverside The statement came as almost 200 industry experts and officials joined JTA on Wednesday to celebrate National Autonomous Vehicle Day. They sampled the vehicles that could move down Bay Street when the Ultimate Urban Circulator — or U2C — begins its Downtown journeys JTA automation and innovation vice president said construction will begin soon to modify the first 3.2-mile stretch of Bay Street for a vehicle like the 12-passenger HOLON “We are though our 60% design and starting construction so we are well underway and advancing,” he said “What’s going to be most visible will be the vehicles and that will be the last thing that people do see things like starting to run everything from the cabling to the infrastructure we need that’s starting to get underway.” Having access to autonomous mass transit cannot come soon enough which works with public transit to improve accessibility and inclusion for the disabled Showing a video of a date night he spent with his wife Brooks said it was the first time they had gone anywhere alone in a car since they were married 27 years ago He applauded JTA’s plans to offer an autonomous mass transit system along Bay Street and ultimately into San Marco “What I want you to understand is the feeling of freedom that comes when you have spent your entire life trying to do something that you couldn’t do,” Brooks said “That is what autonomous technology is creating for people who have never had access to transportation on their own This technology is going to make roads safer and free our drivers to do something other than stare at traffic.” JTA’s event Wednesday at its Test & Learn Facility on Armsdale Road showed off the latest in AV technology through discussions as well as demonstrations The $49 million project got the green light from the JTA just two years ago. The contract with Balfour Beatty LLC kicks off the first phase of the JTA’s Ultimate Urban Circulator which would dispatch 12 to 15 driverless electric people movers on the road “It provides the connectivity where the Skyway never went all the way down to the sports and entertainment complex,” Schmidt said “The benefit of this technology is that it is extremely flexible,” Schmidt said they might actually want us to veer in to the marina and provide that as a pickup with guidance and detection systems able to navigate around cars and pedestrians No major changes are needed to the Bay Street corridor to support them along with the usual automotive traffic “You will see some infrastructure changes For the most part it will not be a major significant change as right now it is slated to be just kind of resurfacing,” he said is really new stations in terms of innovations in terms of the displays and in terms of how the vehicle will interact with customers in terms of boarding and alighting at the stops.” The JTA will have someone on board and in control to begin with The second of the U2C’s three phases would start with the full conversion of the existing 2.5-mile Skyway system in parts of Downtown and San Marco into an elevated roadway for autonomous vehicles which are lighter than the current vehicles Ramps would allow the autonomous vehicles to travel from the Bay Street corridor to the overhead roadways The phase would include a hub at the Jacksonville Regional Transportation Center at LaVilla then stretch from the Northbank and across the Acosta Bridge to the Southbank and become a 10-mile system “We are uniquely positioned because the Skyway originally was birthed as an elevated roadway run with rubber-tired vehicles.” Schmidt said “It was retrofitted later on with a center guide beam We are returning that to its first form and function.” The $246 million second phase is funded through the extension of the local option gas tax City Council approved a year ago Construction on Phase II would begin about the same time as the first phase’s opening The U2C’s third phase is still in design but would connect to the city’s Brooklyn and Riverside area with its new condominiums Schmidt said almost all three phases have some associated funding By Dan Scanlan energy and safety innovation coordinator running through Bay Street in downtown Jacksonville have been visualized in a new video presentation It was unveiled at this week’s Jacksonville Business Journal Downtown Development Forum The video ties together many of the ideas already being pursued such as solar powered sidewalks autonomous electrically-powered streetcars that would replace and expand the existing Skyway system and a variety of sensors and information that would be tied together with apps and other software Related: Jacksonville, JTA Awarded $25 Million for Innovation Corridor Projects as it introduces what is being called the North Florida Smart Region Coalition Safety would also be enchanced with cameras and software which explains why the Sheriff's Office has signed on as partner The presentation is the latest in a series of moves to ultimately make downtown Jacksonville a technology and connectivity hub Last week JTA announced it is joining forces with Florida Polytechnic University’s Advanced Mobility Institute on research as JTA continues testing autonomous vehicles with the goal of transforming the Skyway to efficient self-driving electric vehicles that would also run along Bay Street and into several urban core neighborhoods The video also shows off a solar-powered intersection on Bay Street that could in theory provide power to street lights sensors or other electrical needs the project will have In an earlier interview with WJCT News, North Florida TPO Executive Director Jeff Sheffield said if the solar idea gains traction it would likely start with a few blocks of sidewalks Thursday the city and JTA announced they were each will be awarded $12.5 million in federal grant money which will help get the project underway.  JTA will use its grant money to modernize the Skyway system with the autonomous electric vehicles that will run along Bay Street and serve as one of the centerpieces of the project.   The city will move forward with traffic improvements plans along part of Bay Street and Gator Bowl Boulevard that will result in the Hart Bridge downtown ramp system being demolished and being replaced with wider roads that will include pedestrian and bicycle friendly features WJCT News has previously reported that the overall Bay Street innovation corridor plan is expected to cost almost $63 million with funding coming from a variety of local Bill Bortzfield can be reached at bbortzfield@wjct.org, 904-358-6349 or on Twitter at @BortzInJax The cost of building a high-tech corridor for "driverless" shuttles on part of downtown Jacksonville's Bay Street went up to $65.6 million as the Jacksonville Transportation Authority gets ready for ground-breaking by the end of the year and the start of passenger service in mid-2025 The latest all-in project cost for the Bay Street segment is an increase from the $49 million cap the JTA board approved in February 2022 The JTA board approved the higher budget Thursday after getting an update on the first phase of the planned Ultimate Urban Circulator —U2C for short — that will use sensors cameras and computer programs to guide automated vehicles without needing a driver on board JTA has been testing and developing the technology since 2018 in what JTA CEO Nat Ford calls a "lighthouse project for the rest of the country" because other transit agencies are closely watching But the move toward building the system has faced criticism that its technology has not advanced enough and the U2C will set back Jacksonville's mass transit system Gas tax money: Change in Jacksonville gas tax plan would shift $150 million from Skyway to Emerald Trail Drive time: JTA moves closer to start of work on system of self-driving transit shuttles in downtown Photo gallery: JTA and Guident host Inaugural National Autonomous Vehicle Day who took office July 1 in a district that contains downtown has said he's been a critic of the U2C concept for years and the "the time is ripe to finally put an end to it." He favors light rail or a streetcar line rather than the automated vehicles in the U2C Ford said the technology for automated vehicles is the wave of the future and offers far more flexibility for tailoring routes and service options than putting transit on tracks He said the Federal Transit Administration has awarded about $200 million in competitive grants to JTA since 2016 because it will "finish what we started and fulfill our commitments." "I see that enthusiasm bubble being burst if we're not very careful," board member Ari Jolly said Shuttles will run from downtown office district to sports complexThe Bay Street leg will run from an existing Skyway station in the office-tower district of downtown out to the sports complex and back Unlike the Skyway trains that run on elevated guideways the rubber-tired shuttles will operate at street-level The plan is for the electric battery-powered vehicles to eventually travel above-ground The technology of automated vehicles is not new and other Florida cities have been doing test projects with mixed results. The city of Orlando approved $500,000 on a limited one-mile service that started in August on existing bus lanes Gainesville completed a test of such vehicles in 2022 on a route between the University of Florida and downtown where the shuttles operated in the same lanes as regular cars "For operational purposes, we're not there yet," Regional Transit System Director Jesus Gomez told the Gainesville Sun of the results "There's a lot of things we'd need to change for it to become a regular transit option." The Gainesville service generally got good reviews from riders but motorists didn't like being behind slow-moving shuttles going 9 mph Other drawbacks were heavy rain hindered the performance of the shuttles and the sensors that guide them got confused by roadside objects or reflective materials "Even someone doing landscaping with a mower can stop the vehicle," Gomez said in March 2022 Ford said it's an "apples to oranges" comparison between the vehicles used in pilot projects and the heightened specifications JTA will use for the U2C shuttles he said the U2C shuttles will have multiple types of technology to guide them in varying conditions He said they will operate just as well in heavy rain as in sunshine The shuttles will travel at speeds between 15 mph and 25 mph Florida leads the country in seeing how autonomous shuttles can be part of transit systems those are pilot projects that might last a few months or a year to collect data senior vice president and chief infrastructure and development officer for JTA The U2C will be built as a permanent fare-collecting service that falls under the Federal Transit Administration's oversight "They're going to hold us to the same standard running this operation with autonomous vehicles as they do with our fixed-route bus service," Gillis said "That's why everyone is looking at us because when we make this work —and we will — all the other transit agencies will say we know how to put these into revenue service for ourselves.'" The main reason for the latest increase in the cost of the first phase of the U2C down Bay Street is it will include building a new $9.4 operations and maintenance center for the system JTA originally intended to use the existing Skyway operation center but needs to keep that operating for the Skyway so it can run while work occurs on the Bay Street corridor state and federal dollars for the Bay Street leg Department of Transportation awarded a $25 million grant in 2019 for two projects: demolition of the Hart Bridge elevated ramp through the sports complex and the Bay Street Innovation Corridor with automated vehicles The city of Jacksonville completed the demolition of the elevated ramp and construction of a wider road deadline for using its $12.5 million share of the federal grant "We are on track for making that date and I will say our design-build partner team led by Balfour Beatty has committed to us that together we're going to make that date," Gillis said Other funding for Bay Street includes $13 million from the state Department of Transportation After that first phase, the conversion of the 2.5-mile elevated Skyway system to handle the rubber-tired vehicles will cost an estimated $247 million. JTA will use a chunk of money from a doubling of the local 6-cent per gallon gas tax to 12 cents for the Skyway part of the U2C the future expansion for the U2C is for extension into neighborhoods surrounding downtown by running the automated vehicles at street level The overall network will have 10 miles of routes Downtown advocate Matt Brockelman said while there was some debate about the U2C when City Council approved using gas tax money for it in 2021 that shouldn't mean the "cake is baked" on building it if the technology and passenger capacity of the planned system hasn't advanced enough to make it successful "If we can get it to a place where it is going to be as effective as people originally wanted it to be I hope they would be open-minded about looking for alternative solutions because at the end of the day not necessarily one particular way of getting there." "Made in America" requirement constrains vehicle choicesThe model of automated vehicle most commonly associated with the U2C is shaped like a toaster with big windows for viewing and doors that open in the manner of an elevator for passengers That might not be what's in place when the system starts because the federal grant has a "Buy American" requirement and those kinds of vehicles are made abroad The "plan B" is an American-made vehicle that looks more like an extended van that doesn't stand out more than any other vehicle in traffic Ford said JTA has been seeking a waiver from the made-in-America requirement and also is talking with global manufacturers about putting a vehicle plant in the United States to handle orders from JTA and other transit agencies Another factor affecting the Bay Street corridor will be whether the shuttles operate in mixed traffic or have their own dedicated lanes JTA prefers the dedicated lanes but that would mean eliminating on-street parking along Bay Street to make room for the U2C lanes Gillis said Bay Street would move all traffic more efficiently with dedicated lanes for the shuttles She said Bay Street willl be a "smart corridor" with intelligent transportation system technology for traffic signals the dedicated lanes for U2C shuttles could be used by other public transportation vehicles Gillis said that before the construction groundbreaking JTA will have a round of public outreach about what people can expect in downtown during the work "We also want to get their feedback one more time because we know this project has a lot of eyes on it," she said a much-anticipated Staten Island rezoning proposal was certified by the City Planning Commission on Tuesday to move into the public-review process for the land-use portion of the plan that focuses on the Bay Street corridor stretching from the Tompkinsville to Shore Acres neighborhoods “Imagine the Bay Street Corridor that stretches from St vibrant live-work-play community that supports jobs and including affordable housing,” City Planning Commission Chair Marisa Lago said “As we begin the public review of the Bay Street Corridor Neighborhood Plan we want to hear from Staten Islanders about their vision for an even better North Shore for themselves Along with triggering ULURP or uniform land use review process—the City Planning Commission also released the draft environmental impact study on the Bay Corridor neighborhood plan The Staten Island rezoning proposal is part of the de Blasio administration’s housing plan which aims to create 300,000 affordable housing units across the city partly through the rezoning of at least a dozen neighborhoods across the five boroughs “After nearly three years of community input the Department of City Planning is releasing its draft Environmental Impact Statement beginning a seven-month period of public review culminating in a vote at the City Council My position with the administration over the last three years has been clear: We will not undertake this rezoning without public investments in appropriate infrastructure to support a future increase in density,” said Councilwoman Debi Rose “The right mix of market-rate and affordable housing will provide space for seniors fabric and opportunity of our North Shore neighborhoods This blueprint would respect waterfront view corridors and enhance public access to our waterfront.” The Staten Island rezoning proposal includes the St George an estimated 14-block area along Bay Street bounded by Victory Boulevard to the north and Sands Street to the south including the two-block area along Canal Street south of Bay Street It is slated to create an estimated 1,800 mixed-income apartments The proposal includes the development of two city-owned properties; 55 Stuyvesant Place and 539 Jersey Street for job creation and mixed-use (commercial and residential) development with affordable housing blocks surrounding Beach Street and Canal Street are currently zoned R3-2 and R4 districts One of the major concerns of community groups such as the Staten Island Housing Dignity Coalition was whether deeply affordable housing units would be part of the proposal It remains unclear which of the MIH options which offer different levels of affordability The Department of Housing Preservation Development will provide to the rezoning area tenant protection programs including the Certificate of No Harassment program and the Neighborhood Pillars program to preserve existing affordable housing and legal assistance to North Shore tenants who face eviction or harassment “Developed through extensive community engagement the Bay Street Corridor Neighborhood Plan is focused on creating opportunities for good jobs space to support new and existing businesses and affordable homes that will anchor this dynamic community We look forward to working together with our partners in the community to solidify and advance a comprehensive coordinated approach to neighborhood investments that will serve Staten Islanders for generations to come,” HPD Commissioner Maria Torres-Springer said Existing commercial zoning C2-3 and C2-4 will remain over portions of the proposed R6B and R6 zoning districts C2-3 and C2-4 commercial overlays are for typical retail uses such as neighborhood grocery stores C2 districts permit a slightly wider range of uses The city is also pointing to streetscape improvements new school capacity and new open space as part of its larger plan for the area According to the DEIS The study says a little over a dozen residents are expected to be directly displaced The city’s methodology for predicting displacement has been sharply criticized the study also revealed that an estimated 1,753 residents in unregulated housing units are at risk of being indirectly displaced by the proposed actions* “In line with the city’s MIH policy an estimated 25 to 30 percent of new housing units would be made permanently affordable within the Study Area The impact of additional unregulated housing resulting from the Proposed Actions would be eased by the provision of affordable housing for a preexisting population vulnerable to indirect residential displacement.” The DEIS notes that some displacement risk would exist even without the zoning because of existing real-estate trends The study says the population increase would require another analysis to accommodate a new student population of approximately 1,125 total students including approximately 537 elementary school students and 358 high school students but the study concluded that “the Proposed Actions are not anticipated to result in a significant adverse impact to public schools.” If the impact is significant then the study proposes to restructure existing schools or adding new space to create more capacity The study also expects that there is potential for directly displacing 30 businesses representing retail Approximately 244 employees at these 30 businesses are likely to be displaced representing approximately five percent of employees in the study area and approximately 0.26 percent of employees in Staten Island The proposed zoning text amendment would alter the maximum building height on Stapleton Waterfront from 55 feet to 125 feet in order to enhance waterfront views It includes altering traffic patterns to accommodate safety for  pedestrians and cyclists and parking space The rezoning proposal also includes improvements to existing parks and public school playgrounds accessible to the community after school hours including the possibility of a new recreation center at the Lyons Pool site Development for additional open spaces may be determined later in the public review process The study emphasized that there would be significant adverse traffic and transit impacts within the bounds of the study area It listed dozens of intersections that could be affected by the rezoning the rezoning would generate a net increment of approximately 433 and 578 new Staten Island Railway trips during peak commuting hours during the week The study area also is served by 22 MTA bus routes and the rezoning would generate approximately 860 and 1,093 incremental bus trips during peak hours The plan to mitigate the impact on bus transit would mean adding two to six additional standard buses to each direction of each route during both peak hours The concept for the Bay Street Corridor district came from the North Shore 2030 Report, released in 2011 According to the Department of City Planning the proposal was refined through “constant engagement” between city agencies and a Bay Street Corridor Plan Local Advisory Committee (LAC) which included area stakeholders including representatives of Councilmember Rose business representatives and community organizations But the Staten Island Housing Dignity Coalition said despite three years of sessions with city agencies the environmental impact statement still raises some of the same old concerns: public land It appeared to me that the three years we have been talking to people and they have listening intently but we don’t see anything on paper,” said Deacon Mary Bourne-First from Central Baptist Church and a member of the Staten Island Housing Dignity Coalition According to the Staten Island Housing Dignity Coalition only one of the three city-owned properties would be used for affordable housing and it was listed as 50 percent The coalition called the number of residents subject to potential displacement “worrisome.” On local jobs the coalitions says it had been pushing for at least 50 percent of the jobs to be reserved for residents but the city has not committed to that “We feel very strongly about public land being used for public good The public land is a prime opportunity for the city to build affordable housing for what the community needs I know families – generations—living under one apartment These people work everyday and contribute to the community,” said Deacon Mary Bourne-First The coalition said they have reached out to Rose who has agreed to meet with its’ members and are waiting to hear back from city agencies The community organization is prepared to what it says is the “six-month fight” with the city to meet its demands the Councilwoman is not in favor of the option that targets the 115 percent AMI also known as the Workforce Option which the coalition also opposes as an MIH option for the North Shore community “Nothing reflects the discussions we have had These communities are already rent burdened and are likely to face more trauma It places families in jeopardy of homelessness This is what we fear as Christian leaders—these statistics do not truly reflect the income levels of the North Shore,” said Reverend Janet Jones pastor of Rossville AME Zion Church and member of the Staten Island Housing Dignity Coalition “We want 100 percent affordability on public land; the public should have the right to say what goes on public land They keep using this term affordable but our question is affordable for whom?” *Corrections: The initial version of this story erroneously reported that the DEIS says 1,700 low-income residents would be displaced The DEIS also notes that existing trends would create a displacement risk even if the rezoning didn’t occur It also erroneously reported that R6B zoning includes buildings up to 13 stories; in fact Support from readers like you allows us to report more Donate today! Will they build a “Whole Paycheck” to replace it If this plan goes through maybe Western Beef or some other supermarket will occupy one of the larger retail spaces But you can forget about a Stop-N-Shop or ShopRite ever opening up there There is no way that SI can add 6600 people without straining the island’s old limited infrastructure A housing lottery opened last week for 131 apartments; qualifying New Yorkers can apply for the units priced between $1,790/month for studios and $2,481/month for three bedrooms Of the 270 total apartments, 131 are allocated for renters with households equal to or below 80 percent of the area median income, which is $101,680 annually for a family of three, according to the city’s housing department The remainder is designated for formerly homeless seniors who make no more than $25,080 per year as a single person In 2022, the state awarded the project $101 million for on-site supportive services for seniors at the building “Creating thoughtfully designed apartments for vulnerable populations including some of New York’s formerly unhoused senior citizens is deeply meaningful work and we are so proud to reach this milestone as it means we are one step closer to welcoming new residents to The Pearl,” Joseph Ferrara Located along the shoreline of Upper New York Bay the Pearl offers an outdoor roof deck with water views including a screening room and recreational space Residents will also have easy access to public buses Staten Island’s North Shore is currently undergoing a revitalization effort. In September, Mayor Eric Adams announced a $400 million investment and a new roadmap for redeveloping the waterfront with new open space The city’s focus will be completing the waterfront esplanade George to Stapleton and create 20 acres of continuous waterfront access Qualifying New Yorkers can apply for the apartments until April 22, 2024. Fifty percent of the units are set aside for residents of Staten Island Community District 1. Complete details on how to apply are available here Questions regarding this offer must be referred to NYC’s Housing Connect department by dialing 311 "a72e3eef4743fc9d50c555ba10a2d8b3" );document.getElementById("d57a537edf").setAttribute( "id" What a beautiful rendering of the Rooftop Terrace I live in one of the other BFC Partner buildings just around the corner on Prospect Street I have lived here for 10 years and we also have a Rooftop Terrace the Tenants currently have no access to Our windows have never been washed and as per lease we cannot hire a window washer .st1{fill-rule:evenodd;clip-rule:evenodd;fill:#2a2a2a} a portion was named the "Bay Street Corridor” in recent  years due to the growth of new businesses and residences between the "New York Wheel" at the Staten Island Ferry and the new Stapleton waterfront apartments at URBY Then: The Masonic Temple at 514 Bay Street as they occupied it in 1901 Then: Bay Street looking up from the Ferry Terminal walk Now: With our back to the ferry ramps looking south down Bay Street The big bill board always with bold advertising From the Collection of the Staten Island Museum Then: Vintage vehicles are parked looking northward on Bay Street in St Now: Bay Street looking towards Borough Hall Now: The same concrete and iron wall lines Bay Street Now: A view from near the corner of Slosson Terrace in St Now: Lighthouse Point is being built near the U.S George Post Office building.The future will include the Lighthouse Point shopping and recreation area to the left and behind the building in this photo Now: Same view down Bay Street from the corner of Victory Boulevard Now: Bay Street today looking north west from Victory Boulevard Scott LoBaido paints the Twin Towers on the Cargo Cafe Now: 120 Bay Cafe was the Cargo Cafe always interestingly painted Photo collection of Historic Richmond Town The building adjoining it to the left has signs "Cocktail Lounge" George Clipper was located at 40 Bay Street in St It was in business from approximately 1941 to 1979 Then: Notice the empty corner on the right at Bay Street and Victory Boulevard as we look north-west towards the ferry Now: The Pointe at Bay Street and Victory Boulevard Now: Bay Street today at Victory Boulevard has added a Key Food grocery store to the residential building called the Pointe at Bay From the collection of the New York Public Library the Stork's Nest II sign on the same building Then: Lombardi and Sons motorcycle shop at 442 Bay Street The son of the founder seen standing in front of the store in 1942 Now: Lombardi and Sons motorcycle shop at 442 Bay Street S.I (Note the mispelling of Stapleton on the post card) Now: 514 Bay Street now houses the Project Hospitality pantry and kitchen Now: 521 Bay Street is now Bay Street Laundromat in Stapleton Then: Stapleton looking north from Water Street where Christmas decorations adorn Bay Street In the distance is the historic Paramount Theater Subway still on the corner from the 70's Now: Tappen Park in Stapleton with a shiny black iron fence Then: Traffic backs up on Bay Street in Stapleton on December 28 Steckman's used to be on the corner leading to the Paramount Theater Now: View from Clifton of Bayley Seton Hospital which is being eyed for a future community center Then: 1988 Colonial Lanes at 878 Bay Street Clifton which closed it's door is 2000 used to be the Colonial Lanes bowling alley Photo courtesy of the Staten Island Museum thois is a view of Battery Weed from the overlook The road is unpaved; several horse-drawn carriages travel on the road York Avenue was located near Alice Austen's home in Clifton It was renamed Bay Street sometime between 1898 and 1907 Above the road hangs a large political banner with photos of two men and inscription: "Regular Democratic Nominations for President /Grover Cleveland of New York for Vice Pres't/  Allen G Thurman of Ohio for Governor/ David B Hill of Chemung." This photo was taken just a few days before the national election which was held on November 6 Grover Cleveland was defeated in his bid for re-election as President of the United States Hill was re-elected to a second term as Governor of New York Now: Looking north down Bay Street in Rosebank Mary's Church steeple is seen on the right Now: St John's Episcopal Church with the Canterbury House and rectory The Coast Guard is hidden to the right and behind these structures Now: Looking down Bay Street into beautiful Ft Use of and/or registration on any portion of this site constitutes acceptance of our User Agreement, (updated 8/1/2024) and acknowledgement of our Privacy Policy, and Your Privacy Choices and Rights (updated 1/1/2025) © 2025 Advance Local Media LLC. All rights reserved (About Us) The material on this site may not be reproduced except with the prior written permission of Advance Local Community Rules apply to all content you upload or otherwise submit to this site YouTube's privacy policy is available here and YouTube's terms of service is available here Ad Choices The inaugural National Autonomous Vehicle Day hosted by the Jacksonville Transportation Authority gave attendees a chance to take a spin in vehicles at the testing facility where JTA has been putting self-driving shuttles through the paces for years JTA is getting close to finally starting work on taking all that testing and putting it into the real-world situation of moving people on trips along a stretch of Bay Street in downtown Construction could start this summer on the $49 million project though JTA might alter that budget before actually moving forward on it Other transportation agencies will be closely watching UNF grad student: It’s time to talk about better public transportation in Florida Good news for commuters: St. Johns River Ferry returns to service Federal grant: JTA won $12.5 million for Bay Street corridor "I don't know of another transit authority that is this far ahead," said Bernard Schmidt vice president of automation and innovation at JTA "There are others that partner with us and there are others that we know are charting down the same path." JTA calls its planned system the Ultimate Urban Circulator The full buildout costing several hundred million dollars would convert the elevated Skyway in downtown so rubber-tired automated vehicles will be able to travel on the elevated portion and then go to street level enabling future expansion of the system into neighborhoods surrounding downtown The first piece of that street-level leg will be along Bay Street from the core of downtown's business district out to the sports complex JTA expects it will be ready to launch the service for riders in June 2025 The JTA board approved a $49 million budget in January 2022 for the Bay Street Innovation Corridor. JTA says that budget could change based on modifications to the design and possibly creating dedicated lanes for the automated vehicles to carry passengers along Bay Street rather than having the vehicles operate in existing lanes while mixed in with other vehicles The creation of dedicated lanes would require taking out on-street parking along Bay Street During the National Autonomous Vehicle Day event at the JTA's Test and Learn Facility on Armsdale Road attendees who boarded a shuttle JTA has been testing found that at least on the first trip The vehicle's technology monitors conditions on the driving route and makes adjustments similar to how a person behind the wheel observes what's happening and takes actions But the technology can bring the shuttle to a sudden jarring halt based on how it responds to what its cameras are picking up Those dead stops happened several times when the shuttle made a short lap on the test track that goes around a parking lot even though no obstructions actually were in the way of the shuttle said it was his first ride on an automated vehicle that operates like a People Mover He said he's familiar with autonomous robots in his line of work so he can relate to a demonstration of technology not working as intended "You would hope that a demonstration at an event like this would go a little smoother but I guess that's part of the new technology The shuttle operated more smoothly on subsequent trips that took other attendees for rides JTA has not yet selected what manufacturer and model of shuttle it would use for the Bay Street Innovation Corridor about 12 to 15 of the automated vehicles will be operating in that corridor JTA will do a fare study to determine what it will cost to ride the U2C Schmidt said JTA has been using the Armsdale Road facility to put shuttles through intensive testing to see what they can do and what their limitations are He said JTA will follow the same approach when it moves to testing how the vehicles operate in the traffic environment of Bay Street "I can't guarantee you that there won't be issues," he said and we've put together requirements that look at trying to mitigate a number of risks and take the safest profile approach." JTA has been testing automated vehicles since 2017 when it opened a test track off Bay Street in the sports complex That track was for vehicles to go in a straight line back and forth without any turning compared to the loop that vehicles make at the Armsdale Road test site Schmidt said technology has continued to improve with the latest version of the vehicles The batteries that power the all-electric vehicles can go longer between charges and the various kinds of technology that collect information about the vehicle's surroundings have become more sophisticated in how they work together "It's probably not visible to the naked eye but the technology changes a lot and changes often," he said The second phase involving conversion of the elevated Skyway to the U2C is in the design process that will determine its budget When City Council agreed to double the local 6 cents per gallon gas tax to 12 cents one of the many projects funded by that tax increase will be the Skyway conversion The local gas tax will generate $247 million over 30 years for that second phase By: 7:30 am on January 20 Updated renderings have been revealed for 475 Bay Street, a 12-story affordable housing property in Stapleton, Staten Island. Designed by GF55 Partners and developed by BFC Partners the 250,000-square-foot structure will yield 269 units The residential collection includes 131 apartments set aside for households at or below 80 percent area median income (AMI) that equates a family of three with an annual income of $85,920 An additional 138 units will be set aside for formerly homeless seniors and households at or below 30 percent AMI Planned amenities include outdoor roof decks, a fitness center, a children’s playroom, a communal lounge, and a collection of spaces designated for use by elderly residents. The latter includes a multi-function screening room, recreational space, and on-site supportive services provided by Selfhelp Community Services The latest renderings depict a ground level enclosed in floor-to-ceiling glass that abruptly transitions to a gray brick façade the massing sets back to make room for several outdoor terraces Additional outdoor areas are positioned above the 12th floor Aerial rendering 475 Bay Street – GF55 Partners Rendering 475 Bay Street’s residential entry and ground floor retail space – GF55 Partners Rendering of ground floor retail space at 475 Bay Street – GF55 Partners The development is the latest component of the Bay Street Corridor Neighborhood Plan and community groups to create new affordable housing properties local retail and small business opportunities All of the planned developments will take shape within a rezoned corridor surrounding Bay Street “As the first project to break ground on this newly rezoned piece of Bay Street this development will pave the way for necessary development in the neighborhood,” said Joseph Ferrara and this latest project demonstrates our continued investment in the North Shore of Staten Island.” Total construction costs for 475 Bay Street are estimated at $151 million Financing for the project includes a first mortgage loan of $99,865,000 from New York State Housing Finance Agency The developers have also secured an annual subsidy from the New York State Empire State Supportive Housing Initiative for the provision of housing to frail and older adult residents Subscribe to YIMBY’s daily e-mail Follow YIMBYgram for real-time photo updates Like YIMBY on Facebook Follow YIMBY’s Twitter for the latest in YIMBYnews It’s 2022 and there is no real excuse for using PTACs anymore David from heaven has nothing poetic to say about this little building in Staten Island This is going to a wonderful opportunity for this community ga('send', 'event', 'beautyofblock', 'Impression', 'https://newyorkyimby.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Standard_336x280-100-2.jpg', { nonInteraction: true }); 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