City-owned garage on Staten Island’s North Shore to become 232 affordable homes
Renderings courtesy of Purpose by Design Architects
A city-owned sanitation garage on Staten Island’s North Shore will be transformed into 232 affordable homes. The city’s Department of Housing Preservation and Development (HPD) on Monday revealed the development team and plans for Hillside Grove, which will convert an unsightly garage at 539 Jersey City into a mixed-use affordable housing complex with a grocery store, amenities, and open space.
The development will be led by a team including Volunteers of America – Greater New York, Spatial Equity Co., and Nehemiah HDFC. Purpose by Design Architects, a Minority and Women-owned Business Enterprise (M/WBE) design collaborative, will design the project with a focus on creating healthy, sustainable, and inclusive spaces.
Two hundred thirty-two affordable homes will be spread across three buildings: a senior building with 90 units, for households earning up to 60 percent of the area median income (AMI); a multifamily rental building with 105 units, for households earning up to 80 percent of the AMI; and a homeownership co-op building with roughly 37 affordable homes available for purchase by moderate-income households.
Approximately two-thirds of the affordable homes will be reserved for extremely low- and very low-income households, including about 60 homes for families from the Department of Homeless Services shelter system.
Hillside Grove’s design features four-and-five-story buildings focused on the concepts of health and wellness, aging in place, universal and inclusive design, active design, zero waste, and trauma-informed design.
The collaborative envisions Hillside Grove as an “urban sanctuary” that fosters community and well-being, inspired by the area’s sloping terrain, historic architecture, and lush tree canopy while preserving the “small-town character” of Tompkinsville, according to the architect’s website.
The development will pursue Passive House certification by utilizing sustainable features such as a geothermal energy system, indoor gardens, and rooftop solar panels.
Additional environmentally friendly strategies include stormwater management and heat mitigation measures, such as planting over 100 trees, installing green roofs, creating retention ponds and dry wells, using porous pavement, and implementing rainwater capture and storage systems.
The development will also feature a variety of community-focused amenities, including community rooms, outdoor recreation space, exercise rooms, a classroom computer lab, laundry rooms, and resident lounges.
Two mid-door gardens will provide year-round indoor greenspace access, while a grocery store and community facility space will host programming provided by local partners.
Hillside Grove will feature new public spaces along its perimeter, including a public plaza at Jersey Street and Victory Boulevard for bus riders and grocery store customers, another plaza at Brook Street, and widened sidewalks with shaded seating along Jersey Street.
An interior courtyard will offer residents a passive open space, a jogging path, community garden, recreation space, and seating area.
“Hillside Grove is a promise of hope, renewal and community building for Staten Island’s North Shore. This project will transform a long overlooked site into 232 affordable homes, vibrant green spaces, and essential neighborhood services—giving families a place to thrive,” HPD Commissioner Adolfo Carrion Jr., said.
“Staten Island deserves housing that celebrates its strong sense of community and its yearning for affordable high-quality living. This development is a shining example of what’s possible when we collaborate to invest in our neighborhoods and our neighbors’ futures.”
The sanitation garage was initially identified as a development site in the 2019 Bay Street Rezoning and is part of Mayor Eric Adams’ North Shore Action Plan. Announced in September 2023, the plan aims to redevelop 20 acres along Staten Island’s northern shore, creating continuous open space, 2,400 housing units, and new commercial spaces.
Residents will continue to receive uninterrupted sanitation services throughout the redevelopment. Services such as cleaning, waste collection, and snow removal will be relocated to a new DSNY garage in Fresh Kills, which is currently under construction by the city’s Department of Design and Construction.
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