Reply With QuoteSomething like the London Eye would be great for SI. Something original for NYC, but a destination that will give the tourists on the ferry a good reason to linger on SI.Originally Posted by futurecity
I think they should consider linking Staten Island with the city properly, i.e, make the investment for subway access to Brooklyn. The North Shore would then develop properly.
I also agree that this area could do with something like the London Eye, some kind of observation tower with a nice design for tourists.
Something like the London Eye would be great for SI. Something original for NYC, but a destination that will give the tourists on the ferry a good reason to linger on SI.
Would probably be significantly more cost effective to link Staten Island to the PATH system, via a Newark airport extension. No tunnels = less money. The new Goethals Bridge being planned will have room for some sort of transit, not sure if it would be able to handle the PATH. If not then Light rail would be a good solution, one route could have the HBLRT cross over the newly raised Bayonne bridge and another could cross over the new Goethals bridge and connect with NJ Transit at Elizabeth or Newark airport.
I just read an article that the Feds are reviewing the Port Authority's plan for the Bayonne Bridge which they say are ready to begin within a few months or so of approval??
So question is??? In the Port Authority's plans for the Bayonne Bridge is their space for two lanes of rail infrastructure? and 2ndly is there no pedestrian/bike access on a new bridge?? That would seem really unfortunate if the Port Authority, along with NJ and NY didn't try and take advantage of this opportunity and put in rail and pedestrian/bike access on this bridge connecting to SI to NJ and beyond..............that would be pitiful actually IMHO.
Theres a walkway on the Bayonne bridge , 1000s use it daily....
*zooms in on Bayonne Bridge on Google Earths, notices walking path next to the roadway*
Wells that's great.......so it can be assumed they'll definitely have a pedestrian/bike path....so then my 2nd question do they have a train plan or at least adding space for rail tracks on the bridge?? I don't see any articles saying so??
Theres some room on both sides of the roadway....the whole deck would need to be replaced if they added trains. But then again in my opinion the whole bridge needs to go , its outdated ,and dangerous.*zooms in on Bayonne Bridge on Google Earths, notices walking path next to the roadway*
Wells that's great.......so it can be assumed they'll definitely have a pedestrian/bike path....so then my 2nd question do they have a train plan or at least adding space for rail tracks on the bridge?? I don't see any articles saying so??
I doubt that walkway on "Bayonne Bridge" is used by thousands. I walked over it on the weekend once and only met one or two people along the way. Bayonne Bridge connects two low-density areas of SI and NJ.
Bayonne isn't low density , its medium density , so is the North shore....maybe a few hundred a day use it , i guess 1000s is a stretch...
There is actually talk of building a giant Ferris Wheel near the ferry terminal.
City eyes world's biggest Ferris wheel for Staten Island
Published: Monday, June 25, 2012, 9:14 PM Updated: Monday, June 25, 2012, 9:48 PM
By Jillian Jorgensen/Staten Island Advance
F
View full size Associated Press photoThe London Eye Ferris wheel,
shown here, would be dwarfed by one that could be built on Staten Island.
STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- When asked what might lead tourists on the Staten Island Ferry to spend a little time here, the world’s largest Ferris wheel might not be the first thing that comes to mind.
But it just might do the trick.
The New York City Economic Development Corporation is in heavy negotiations with a company to build a giant observation wheel — bigger than famous tourist attraction the London Eye and the world’s largest wheel, the Singapore Flyer — on a parcel near the ferry terminal, the Advance has learned.
The wheel would top out at more than 600 feet, according to a source with knowledge of the negotiations. And it’s just part of possible plans for 14 acres of city-owned waterfront property that could also include high-end outlet shopping.
The EDC put out a Request for Expressions of Interest (RFEI) for the two sites near the ferry last August, but wouldn’t comment today on the specifics of what is being considered for the locations.
‘COMPELLING RESPONSE’
“We received several compelling responses to the RFEI and are in active negotiations with multiple respondents as we work toward unlocking the significant economic development potential of these two important sites on Staten Island’s North Shore,” NYCEDC spokesman Kyle Sklerov told the Advance tonight.
PARKING PRESERVED
The two sites are currently used as parking lots for the Richmond County Bank Ballpark at St. George, and the St. George Ferry Terminal. But baseball lovers and ferry commuters, fear not: The RFEI calls for all publicly available parking to be replaced during the development, and for new parking to be added, if necessary.
The parcel where the Ferris wheel is being considered is located between the Postcards Memorial and Jersey Street. The other parcel put out for an RFEI, is closer to the ferry terminal, located between it and the ballpark. For that site, upscale shopping outlets have been proposed by another company, and would be built on a platform above a parking lot, according to the source.
The towering wheel proposed for the waterfront would be designed in the same vein as giants like the London Eye, 443 feet tall, and the Singapore Flyer, which is the tallest at 541 feet. Both are very popular tourist attractions.
The London Eye (or the EDF Energy London Eye, as it’s currently named for a corporate sponsor) is located on the banks of the Thames River, and boasts 32 air-conditioned passenger capsules, each of which can carry 25 people. A trip around the wheel takes about 30 minutes, and the wheel doesn’t stop — riders step into the gondolas as they move, like a ski lift.
Capsules are available to rent for private parties — including a wedding package that allows the bride, groom and 19 guests to take two consecutive rides and pop a bottle of champagne on the way down.
Standard adult tickets are 15 pounds sterling (around $23). If you want to skip the lines — and aren’t sure what day you want to visit — a priority boarding flexible ticket costs 31.50 pounds (approximately $49). Those who want a longer ride and a drink can opt for the 40 Pound Vinopolis Wine Tasting Experience ($62) — an hourlong ride that features five wine tastings.
The Singapore Flyer takes the gourmet Ferris wheel experience even further, offering full butler sky dining for $299 a couple — that pays for two rotations, or about an hourlong ride; and four courses of food with dessert, coffee and tea served in the capsule. The current menu offers a chicken, fish, lamb and vegetarian option for the main courses, and an Oreo cheesecake for dessert. Wine pairings cost extra.
Both of those wheels attract millions of tourists annually — the London Eye carries 3.5 million visitors a year. The wheel here could have a built-in audience: The Staten Island Ferry carries 2 million tourists annually, most of whom get back on the boat without spending any time in the borough.
2012 SILive.com
Maybe someone at EDC was reading this thread...
I actually think the best place for a Ferris wheel would be by Brooklyn Bridge Park just north of the Manhattan Bridge. This would have the most stunning and comprehensive views of the city.
As for SI:
Considering the site is near the gateway of one of the greatest harbors in the world and provides great views of the ocean, maybe a beacon-like observation tower with a large restaurant would better serve tourists and residents. Coincidentally the Lighthouse Museum is trying to open up nearby. http://lighthousemuseum.org/
Maybe a museum/retail component and tower could work like the Trylon and Perisphere.
Anyway this idea isn't bad. This is the 4th proposal for a giant ferris wheel in the city so let's see where it goes.
^^ Just amazes me that a few billion dollars hasn't been made available to complete or redo the tunnel subway line in all these decades.....its only around 1 mile........... amazing.
Since there is no pedestrian/bike connection to Brooklyn, a parallel tunnel (secure with lights, etc) should be built to connect the two boroughs, throw in some sliding sidewalks going in both directions too.....
Is that asking for to much????
Part of what makes me say this as well is that fact that Bloomberg wants studio apartments to be under 400 square feet which is a decent size shoebox, but under 400 feet it becomes a mouse hole (I've lived in a studio). I understand that there is pressure to build more units, but young single professionals or couples shouldn't have to live like squatters.....opening up Staten Island via subway rail connection to Brooklyn would create more viable opportunity for housing developments, lowering costs across the city and increasing units. Besides, zoning neighborhooods for taller buildings, obtaining the last waterfront properties, and building air rights over RRs and highways. Staten Island is the Wild Wild South West for the city that can add 100s of thousands of residents comfortably with a "simple" tunnel subway" (w/ parallel pedestrian/bike tunnel) connection.
Last edited by urbanaturalist; August 3rd, 2012 at 04:28 PM.
In Detail> P.S. 62
SOM has broken ground on the first net-zero school east of the Mississippi on Staten Island.
by Aaron Seward
Roof-mounted PV panels will produce all of the school's energy over the course of the year. Courtesy SOM
Ground has been broken on what will be the first net-zero public school east of the Mississippi. Situated on a modest L-shaped site in the quiet residential stretches of southern Staten Island, P.S. 62 will offer students and local residents a glimpse of what the architecture of the future may resemble. Designed by SOM in collaboration with sustainability consultancy In:Posse and CASE (Center for Architecture, Science & Ecology, a research and development program operated jointly by SOM and Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute), the project will make use of nearly every arrow in the quiver of sustainability, blending them thoughtfully to create a building that will not only be easy on the environment, but will also be educational.
P.S. 62 is the brainchild of Bruce Barrett, vice president of architecture and engineering at the New York City School Construction Authority. She (yes, Bruce is a woman) had the idea of building a school that would be 50 percent more energy efficient than the minimum required by Local Law 86. The law mandates that projects that receive city money must be built to be 30 percent more efficient than the standards set by ASHRAE 90.1, which itself sets a pretty high bar for efficiency. On top of this ambitious efficiency goal, Barrett also thought that the project should, over the course of the year, produce as much energy as it consumesthus becoming a net zero energy user.
The net zero standard had its effect on the architectural design. This is not a formal design exercise, explained SOM design partner Roger Duffy. This is really an apparatus, a scientific apparatus that is also attractive, formally speaking.
East elevation.
To hit its energy efficiency target, the design team, which included lighting design firm Brandston Partnership, focused on establishing ideal solar orientation, maximizing daylight on the interior and creating a tightly sealed envelope. The two-story, 66,000-square-foot buildings rectangular plan faces its narrower walls roughly north and south, while the long walls face east and west.
The team restricted glazing to 30 percent of the envelope. On the south facewhich receives the most sunthe fenestration is expressed in two horizontal strips for each of the two floors, an upper clerestory window and a lower vision window. The windows are operable, well shaded by overhanging eaves, and treated with light diffusing material to reduce glare. The north side features traditional punch windows. Elsewhere in the project, indirect daylight is transmitted via skylights through double-height atriums and interior windows to illuminate as much of the interior as possible. Through these measures daylight provides 90 percent of necessary light to the south side spaces, 60 percent to the north, and between 50 percent and 75 percent to the interstitial spaces, such as the cafeteria and gymnasium.
The building envelope itself is a high-performance, precast concrete rain screen system. In order to provide the tightest seal possible, the precast panels, which feature an irregularly undulating pattern that breaks up the buildings mass, span from the foundation to the roof, a distance of some 60 feet, without any intermediate connection to the structure. This move avoided the necessity for penetrations through the buildings insulation and vapor barrier thus providing as airtight a building enclosure as possible.
SOURCES:
MEP Engineering
AKF Group
Lighting Design
Brandston Partnership
Graphics and Data Visualiztion
PentagramDaylight will flood interior corridors (left). Wall sections (center).
Most of the energy generated on site will come from a photovoltaic (PV) panel-wrapper that rises up across the south facade and covers the roof. Researchers at CASE conducted an efficiency study to determine the best profile for the wrapper as well as the optimal angle for the PV panels themselves. They determined that a combination of flat panels and panels sloped between 20 degrees and 40 degrees would produce the optimal amount of electricity for the site. They also determined that they could maximize the number of panels that the roof could accommodate by combining sloped and flat surfaces, as opposed to a single slope. The resulting design takes these considerations into account as well as the mandates of local zoning regulations and height restrictions.
The exact amount of energy that the PV array will produce is not yet known. The technology of PV panels is evolving rapidly. As a result, the designers decided to delay procurement until the moment when the panels will be required for construction. They estimate, however that over the course of one year, the PV array will produce approximately 1.9 million kBtu of energy, enough to offset the anticipated energy use of the building.
A stellar example of sustainable design, P.S. 62 will actively educate its users about how the way they use the building affects its energy consumption. A system of interactive displays placed throughout the building will supply real-time data about energy use and energy production. So if a student turns on or off a light, or opens or closes a window, the consequences of those actions on the consumption of electricity will be made absolutely clear.
http://www.archpaper.com/news/articles.asp?id=6416
*conducts chest compressions on thread*
Ok......breathe a tad bit of life here...
I actually mentioned two posts up that a tunnel with bicycles/pedestrian access parallel to a subway tunnel from BK to SI would be a great investment......but this idea at least as far as bike/pedestrian is even better and a hell of a lot cheaper...........
Interesting.............................................
This project would be huge in scope on many levels.......but, the price tag seems ridiculously reasonable............
Cyclists push for Verrazano bike lane • The Brooklyn Paper
April 5, 2013 / Brooklyn news / Bay Ridge
Cyclists push for Verrazano bike laneBy Natalie Musumeci
The Brooklyn Paper
Getting to Staten Island won’t require as many wheels as it used to if a group of cycling advocates gets its way.
Pedal-pushers are pushing to add a bike and pedestrian path to the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge, a vital motorist-only connection between Brooklyn and Staten Island that currently boasts 12 lanes for cars and none for velocipedes.
“Support of the path would provide a much needed toll-free option that would benefit the health, emergency access, and economic viability of neighboring communities,” activists wrote on a Change.org petition put up by a steering committee for Harbor Ring, a proposed 50-mile route for walkers and bicyclists that would connect the waterfronts encircling New York Harbor.
More than 28 miles of the route is already in place due to existing paths and bikeways, but one critical missing link is the 49-year-old bridge, claim advocates who believe a Verrazano path is a much-needed connection between the two boroughs.
“We are well past the notion that cars are the only way to get around,” said Harbor Ring committee member and Cobble Hill resident Dave Paco Abraham. “It’s a matter of fairness to the people who either can’t afford a car or simply do not have a car.”
The bike boosters — backed by cycling advocacy group Transportation Alternatives and Regional Plan Association — are calling on Gov. Cuomo to hop onboard their proposal for a lane running across the 4,260-foot span.
They’re not the first people to call for a bike path across the bridge: the Department of City Planning commissioned a 1997 feasibility study by Verrazano engineers Ammann & Whitney, who determined that a route could be built without removing a single lane of automotive traffic.
But building a platform between the suspension cables — not unlike the Brooklyn Bridge’s bustling pedestrian and cycling area — wouldn’t be cheap. The study estimated a total build-out at $26.5 million.
A spokeswoman for the Metropolitan Transportation Authority — the agency that operates the Verrazano — said a cycling route was never part of the original plan for the bridge, despite rumors of the contrary, and noted that transit planners are considering conducting their own feasibility study, which would not begin until 2014 or later.
“MTA Bridges and Tunnels is considering this issue as part of a future Belt Parkway ramp reconstruction project,” said spokeswoman Judie Glave.
The bridge is only open to bikers and bipeds twice per year: once for the Five Boro Bike Tour and again during the New York City Marathon.
Abraham, who savors crossing the bridge on his two-wheeler during the bike tour, said that he can tell from the way photo-snapping cyclists react when they hit the bridge that a year-round pathway would be a big attraction.
“This could be a huge boost to New York City on a tourism level,” said the avid bike rider. “You can see sweeping views of all of Manhattan, the Statue of Liberty, of Brooklyn, of New Jersey — it’s really just breathtaking.”
Bike backers gathered 924 signatures as press time, but not everyone is gung-ho for a walking and biking route over the Narrows.
“It’s sheer unadulterated idiocy,” said Community Board 10 member and driving advocate Allen Bortnik, who fears car lanes would be affected. “There are certain places bike lanes do not belong — it is a major thoroughfare.”
A Borough Seeks the Spotlight
By RONDA KAYSEN
Concrete
The decommissioned Homeport naval base will become home to a mixed-use development
overlooking New York Harbor, with housing and shops.
Uli Seit for The New York Times
The project, along with another on the site of decaying 19th-century lighthouse depot
buildings, above, is part of a major plan to revamp Staten Island's North Shore.
Uli Seit for The New York Times
Among the recent additions is the pearl-colored luxury condominium Accolade at 90 Bay Street Landing.
The 19th-century buildings at the former lighthouse service depot on the North Shore of Staten Island are in such a state of decay that tree branches reach out of the dormer windows. But the city hopes this abandoned site, which dates to the French and Indian War, will soon re-emerge as a bustling urban center with shops, restaurants, a hotel and housing.
The lighthouse area, which was abandoned by the Coast Guard in the 1960s, is one target of an ambitious redevelopment plan for downtown Staten Island. Nearly $1 billion in private investment is expected to pour into the North Shore around the Staten Island Ferry terminal over the next decade, bringing the borough the worlds tallest Ferris wheel, an outlet mall, and rentals and condominiums. In June, developers will break ground on a sprawling residential development on the site of a former naval base in the Stapleton neighborhood, a mile and a half south of the terminal.
We really believe that this is a transformational moment for the North Shore of Staten Island, said Seth W. Pinsky, the president of the citys Economic Development Corporation. Staten Island is entering into a golden age.
This next phase of development is intended to persuade two groups to stay on Staten Island: the 1.5 million tourists who arrive by ferry each year only to turn around and immediately return to Manhattan, and young Staten Islanders, who have been leaving for decades. Between 1990 and 2009, Staten Island has lost 2,000 residents ages 20 to 34, resulting in a nearly 6 percent decline among that population group, according to a report by the Center for an Urban Future. Developers hope the new apartments will entice more homegrown Staten Islanders to stay, and maybe even draw residents from elsewhere.
Much of the private and public investment along the waterfront was committed even before parts of Staten Island were severely damaged by Hurricane Sandy. Last September the city unveiled plans for a 625-foot-tall Ferris wheel, an outlet mall, and a 200-room hotel to rise within steps of the ferry terminal. A month later, after the storm devastated the islands eastern shore, the city reaffirmed its commitment to the North Shore. Now more than ever we need to focus on energizing the economy of Staten Island, Mr. Pinsky said.
The city has been zeroed in on the North Shore for the last decade, investing more than $200 million in public funds on a restoration of the ferry terminal and the nearby waterfront among other projects. Still, despite the terminal and the waterfront ballpark for the minor-league Staten Island Yankees, the area remains a disjointed hodgepodge of government buildings, bodegas, liquor stores and dollar stores.
At the lighthouse depot, which will be reinvented as Lighthouse Point, the crumbling 19th-century buildings overlook a newly restored waterfront plaza steps from the ferry terminal. By the end of the year, the developer Triangle Equities hopes to begin construction on 53,000 square feet of retail there. As part of the $250 million plan, the developer will restore some of the historic buildings, adding a 164-room hotel and 96 housing units.
Subterranean storage vaults will eventually house restaurants and shops. The brick-lined vaults are very cool, said Elysa Goldman, the director of development for Triangle Equities. They have a lot of character. It just lends itself to a winery or a cheese shop or a coffee shop.
The city, which still owns two of the buildings at the lighthouse site, has requested proposals from developers to use one for a nonprofit organization, possibly as a new home for the National Lighthouse Museum. (There are no immediate plans for the other.)
Drawing young people to Staten Island may take some work, as the area has a decidedly unhip reputation. But with housing prices high in markets like Hoboken, N.J., and Brooklyn, young commuters may take a second look at the North Shore, which is a 25-minute ferry ride from Lower Manhattan.
Ive been calling Staten Island the last development frontier for some time, said Donald A. Capoccia, a managing principal of BFC Partners, which is developing the outlet mall on the site of a parking lot near the ferry terminal.
In June, Ironstate Development of Hoboken will break ground on a mixed-use development on Homeport, a 35-acre decommissioned Naval base overlooking the New York Harbor. The first $140 million phase will include two buildings with 27,000 square feet of retail space and 571 rental units, a swimming pool, garden and gym. Rents will range from $1,200 a month, for a studio, to $2,600 a month for a two-bedroom. As part of the New Stapleton Waterfront Development project, the city is investing $33 million in an esplanade, a waterfront park and infrastructure. Ironstate hopes to draw young professionals from Staten Island and south Brooklyn.
Staten Island is losing a lot of young people because there are no options to attract them, said David Barry, the president of Ironstate Development, which has developed properties in Hoboken and Jersey City. You cant have old housing stock and expect to attract your best and brightest.
Developments newly available for purchase in downtown Staten Island have been selling well, said Jacqueline Urgo, the president of the Marketing Directors, which is marketing two properties in the area for the developer Meadow Partners.
The Pointe, a 57-unit luxury condo in St. George, is 90 percent sold, with most of the buyers coming from elsewhere on Staten Island. Prices ranged from $365,000, for a one-bedroom, to $495,000 for a two-bedroom. Sales really surpassed our expectations, Ms. Urgo said.
Meadow Partners will begin marketing another full-service luxury condo, the rebranded Accolade at 90 Bay Street Landing. The developer anticipates that prices will start at $275,000, for a studio, and exceed $1 million for a penthouse.
Despite the prospect of a $1 million condo, the North Shore still lacks amenities like high-end grocery stores or boutique shopping. And it continues to suffer from a punishing reputation. But residents, developers and city officials see an eventual end to both problems.
People all over the country know Staten Island, said Frank Rizzo, the broker/owner of Cornerstone Realty Partners. It might be the butt of their jokes, but theyre talking about it. Now its our time to say: No, you dont know Staten Island. Heres what we are.
https://www.nytimes.com/2013/04/28/r...-nytmetro&_r=0
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