Consultant team is set for Staten Island study.

New York City Economic Development Corporation (NYCEDC) and the City's Department of City Planning (NYCDCP) today announced the selection of PB Americas to head a consultant team that will study land use and transportation issues on the North Shore of Staten Island.

The study was a recommendation of Mayor Bloomberg's Staten Island Growth Management Task Force, which identified a number of initiatives to tackle over-development concerns throughout the borough. It is also in keeping with PlaNYC's commitment to extend transit access to new and emerging neighborhoods.

The consultant team will provide land use and transportation planning, as well as market analysis and feasibility studies. In addition to PB Americas, other members of the consultant team include Basile Baumann Prost Cole and Associates, D.I.R.T. Studio, Green Shield Ecology, Inc., Zetlin Strategic Communications and Historical Perspectives.

"Staten Island's North Shore represents an area of tremendous opportunity for economic development," said NYCEDC President Seth W. Pinsky. "The consultant team, led by PB Americas and working with a local advisory committee, will ensure that development of the area is both responsible and sustainable, while meeting the needs of a growing Staten Island. This is another example of Mayor Bloomberg's commitment to create a more sustainable New York City for residents of all five boroughs."

"From the restoration of the North Shore Railroad to the expansion of the Containerport, the North Shore of Staten Island is ripe for opportunity, job creation, mass transit and a better quality of life for every neighborhood," said Staten Island Borough President James R Molinaro. "I look forward to working with the consultant team, EDC and the Department of City Planning to improve waterfront access, increase maritime industrial uses and explore possible reuse of the North Shore Railroad property. It is vitally important that we work together to ensure that the North Shore Study does not die on the vine, but instead helps us to achieve these worthwhile goals on Staten Island."

The consultant team's outreach efforts will include a number of public meetings, workshops and open houses to discuss findings and incorporate public input. An Advisory Committee comprised of local stakeholders, civic groups, representatives of city and state transportation agencies and elected officials will be appointed to help develop a community-based framework that will guide the North Shore's future transportation and land use needs.

The North Shore study will compliment an existing study of land use and transportation on Staten Island's West Shore.

"Staten Island's waterfront is a precious asset both as a working waterfront and with opportunities for public access," said City Planning Commissioner Amanda M. Burden. "We look forward to working with PB Americas and the Advisory Committee to identify a community-supported vision for Staten Island's North Shore. This task is vital to determine the appropriate mix of land uses and transportation and infrastructure investments needed to complement the North Shore's important historic and commercial neighborhoods."

The study area is comprised of approximately six miles of shoreline along the Kill van Kull and includes the neighborhoods of Mariner's Harbor, Arlington, Port Richmond, Elm Park, West Brighton, Livingston, New Brighton and St. George, all within walking distance of the former North Shore Rail right-of-way. The area includes long-established active maritime and industrial businesses, as well as historic residential neighborhoods and retail areas and the Snug Harbor Cultural Center.

"We commend the City for addressing the transportation and land use issues of the North Shore in a comprehensive and interrelated manner," said PB Americas Vice President Daniel Baer.

The team is targeting summer 2009 for release of its preliminary recommendations.