With the development of the New York Wheel, the Empire Outlet Mall, and the Outlet Mall’s 190 room Hotel, there’s a lot going on.
When asked about the impact that these projects would have on the island our Borough President, James Oddo, stated, “Its transformative. It allows us to reclaim this corridor. We’re an island… and its about time that we start tapping into all of the benefits of being an island. I think this helps us reclaim our waterfront. I think this is a wonderful project in and of itself. But I also believe that this unleashes the rest of Richmond Terrace and the rest of that water front. We will never unleash [our] full potential unless there is a spark. And I think that [this project] is a trigger to reclaim our waterfront and to transform.”
With 65,000 people taking the Ferry every day, and about 56 million people visiting NYC annually, placing the Empire Outlet Mall right outside the Ferry seems like a great way to draw tourists to the Island. Coined the new “Entertainment District” by the organizers of the Outlet Mall, this new structure will host the largest observation wheel in the world, which will stand 630 feet tall once completed. With water front dining, 100 plus shops, and a 190 room hotel, tourists might not leave the Island once they arrive.
When asked about how the development on the Island would affect businesses, Lynn Kelly, President and CEO of the Snug Harbor Cultural Center stated, “I think what’s different here is there is a sincerity as an Outsider coming in and saying ‘we want to work with you to be an Insider too to be apart of this’. Often times ‘Outsiders’ have come in and said ‘here’s what we want to do here’. And there’s been a lot of push back, but is been different here. Even our Borough President… Said how do we figure this out for a tourism issue? We’re gonna roll up our sleeves… And move forward.”
Cheryl Adolph, Interim President and CEO of the SI Museum added, that “The Island will never be the same after the wheel starts turning. I feel like it is going to… Be a milestone.” It is hard to deny, that Staten Island will forever be changed by “The Core Four”. Check out the video below to see the latest development on the Outlet Mall.
I am a 24 year old fashion blogger from the Poconos who has finally made the move to the big city… sort of. Living on the Forgotten Borough has its perks though, there are some great local fashion spots, and a budding fashion community right here in our backyard. And a quick hop on the ferry brings us all of the inspiration we need. If you have a fashion tip or a lead on a fashion event, send me an e-mail at Alexandra.M.Nyman@gmail.com.
