SSJ plans Roosevelt Island hotel.

A park, full-service hotel, condominiums, a luxury spa and conference center, ferry service and a future marina are being planned for the historical southern tip of Roosevelt Island.

The 1 million square-foot, two-phase proposal was created by Stephen S. Jemal of SSJ Development in response to a 1997 RFP. SSJ received a conditional designation from the Roosevelt Island Operating Corp. (RIOC), which runs the East River Island, and is now beginning to meet with the community.

"I saw land and time, and opportunity and ruin, and no access to what was envisioned as a 2.8-acre park," said Jemal, who has invested several years and "a ton of money" in this project. "I did my homework on this," he added.

But while the scheme, designed by the well-respected Brennan Beer Gorman Architects, follows the Island's master plan, originally designed by John Burgee and Phillip Johnson, the contentious, insular community is expected to complain about anything that brings in transients.

Still, the plan would create a landscaped park and community access to a currently fenced-off, brush-filled area, restore the landmarked hospital ruins, and provide operating income for an island conceived in the 1960's as a residential haven for the middle-class, but which now drains the state economy with subsidies for its operations and low Mitchell-Lama rents.

Many residents are associated with the United Nations and moved to the Island before the subway stop was created. Then, low rents were the inducement because Roosevelt Island was only accessible by the swinging, and often out-of-order, red Tram.

But now, a mere one stop from either Manhattan or Queens, some apartments in the building known as Manhattan Park rent for more than $3,000, and a market co-op was constructed to add a mix of shelter opportunities and income ranges.

Recently, the Hudson Companies and Related Companies were designated as the developer of a 17-acre mid-island portion of Roosevelt Island known as South Town. Those nine buildings will add 2,000 residents, small retail components and a public plaza. Those developers are regularly meeting with the community, which still has concerns, including the prospect of transient students and nurses that could reside in some of the buildings,

"We have a new administration that has come into Roosevelt Island, and our goal is to get the goals of the master plan implemented as soon as possible," said John Durso, a spokesperson for RIOC.

There is a new RIOC President, Robert Ryan, who came on after his predecessor, Jerome Blue, Phd., alienated the community in several mis-steps. These included refusing to deal with the elected Common Council of the Island, and neglecting to ask Governor George Pataki for financing one year, thus depriving the Island of its $6.5 million subsidy.

"Governor Pataki wants the Island to be self-sufficient, but at the same time, we want the community to be as involved as possible in its decision-making," said Durso, referring to the nearly $2 million expected to be generated by the hotel conference project each year.

The hotel is projected to be used by the; Roosevelt Islanders themselves for family passage events such as weddings, anniversanes and bar/bat mitzvahs, and host conferences organized by the United Nations and local universities and hospitals, as well as passing yachters.

A meeting with the community and SSJ was scheduled for this past Monday.

"There is tremendous opposition, and then they understand it," said Jemal, of his talks with residents. "I look forward to working with the people on Roosevelt Island and getting this realized."

The Island now boasts a day care center, a library, and PS/IS 217, which schools 600 students in grades K-8. There are more than 8,000 residents.

Having been overwhelmingly successful in Brooklyn by demand for both sleeping and function rooms, Marriott is expected to be the operator of the hotel, which could include condominiums or hotel time-shares, according to Jemal.

A spokesperson for Marriott declined to discuss or confirm the project, as no agreement exists.

The hotel and residential portion is expected to eventually encompass two towers of 25 to 30 stories. The height is a moving target, as is the residential/hotel mix of the second tower, and would be constructed on the footprint of an earlier hospital.

"I'm not building beyond the line where there once was development," said Jemal.

The plan includes the restoration of the ruins of a smaller smallpox hospital to its south, now a three-story masonry shell with floors of about 12,000 square feet each.

"This has been in existence since 1848 and is New York City's only landmarked ruin in the entire city," said Durso. "It's going to need further stabilization and the developers have agreed to restore it."

The "decrepit, empty building" designed by James Renwick, Jr., designer of St. Patrick's Cathedral, is missing a fourth floor and the mansard roof depicted in historical photos. It now resembles a leaning, short castle, propped by timbers and partially eaten by ivy, but will be transformed into a world-class conference facility, said Ted Brumleve, the partner who is overseeing the plans for Brennan Beer Gorman.

This would link with the hotel via a glass, climate-controlled passageway.

Although the smallpox hospital had once marked the tip of the island, over time, landfill from various projects was used to extend the island southward.

"The idea was to create an oasis in the midst of the city," explained Brumleve, who likens their plan to "creating lemonade out of lemons."

"We have a once in a lifetime site with 360-degree views, and it is close to the city, yet is removed," he said. "The notion was to create a master plan for that end of the island that would offer synergy with its surroundings."

A separate restaurant at the hotel would face the city side and capitalize on the view, said Jemal.

The full-service spa would be attractive to people who live in Manhattan or other parts of Roosevelt Island, as well as conferencegoers, Jemal said. "The husband could be wrapped in seaweed while the wife is at the conference," he laughed.

The key to the project, he said, would be a ferry running back and forth every 15 minutes to connect to a luxury terminal at the former corporate heliport site. The ride, he says, takes about "one minute." He also plans a ferry to LaGuardia Airport's Marine Air Terminal site.

Jemal says he has worked around the country on other projects and "has financing in place and ready to go," but would not elaborate.

Jamal is creating similar developments in Plymouth, MA, and in New Jersey, he said, having identified about 18 sites that would include executive conference centers, luxury hotels, and golf courses.

Although there's no room for golf at the Roosevelt Island development, there will be a pool with a retractable dome where Jemal plans to swim laps somewhat Trump-like, announcing he too will move into this development.

While it provides wonderful views of the city and harbor, the area has been fenced off for all but the Fourth of July, when the brambles are mowed and residents are charged $15 each to bring lawn chairs and watch the fireworks.

The park would include some sort of memorial to Franklin Delano Roosevelt and to his wife Eleanor, said Jemal, who is still wrestling with ideas. He is reaching out to the Roosevelt Foundation for direction on a proper memorial.

"It will revive the island, and be the cornerstone of the development," said Jemal, who envisions the conference center as a natural for the signing of world pacts such as nuclear test ban treaties. "And so Roosevelt Island will gain the recognition it deserves."

Roosevelt Island was once home to Dutch hog farmers before the Manning and then Blackwell families came along in the 1700's. In the early 1800's, the City of New York purchased what became known as Welfare Island in 1921 because of the numerous community facilities such as hospitals, mental homes and the prison, where Mae West was jailed for 10 days in 1934 after performing in her show called "Sex."

In the 1960's, several master plans were conceived, and by 1972, the Island was renamed for President Roosevelt. The state's urban development corporation took over under a 99-year lease, developing the first phase of 2,141 apartments in several subsidized buildings.

Rivercross was eventually co-oped after a contentious lottery, and Manhattan Park was constructed as a market rate building. Even this month, residents were battling Mitchell-Lama surcharges in court.

Refuse is whisked away at 55 mph by an underground Automated Vacuum Collection System, similar to one once used in Disney World, and the only one of its kind now operational in the United States.