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        • Community Spotlight - Against Da Grain Angie Feature
        • Economic Study Finds MERC Is Next Step To Progress - Sam Cristy, SIUC
        • Our Community, Our Land - Saul Porter, SIUC
        • Colorism - Malasia Reed, CHS Student
        • An American Family - Rachel Sanchez, Educator
        • When Will Segregation End? - Ania Nixon, CHS Student
        • A Vision of Hope for Relief - Jaylette Jones Tottenville HS Student
        • Who Am I? - Nodrot Adebayo Tottenville HS Student
        • The Black Mid-Island Experience - Chelsea Jones, Tottenville HS Student
        • A Black Male Enters the South Shore - Tecumsay Morris, CHS Student
        • Tompkinsville Park is Healing and Everyone is making a difference
      • Our Urban Town Spring Summer 2021 - Refresh & Reimagine Blog Version >
        • Refresh & Reimagine Our Urban Town For A Post COVId 19 World
        • Coming Soon To Tompkinsville Spring/Summer 2021 Park
        • Happening Now In Tompkinsville Spring Summer 2021
        • Racial Impact Study Would Enhance Equitable Outcomes - By Kelly Vilar
        • Community Spotlight on Jersey Street
        • Landfill Fashionistas Live On >
          • Art and Action for Social & Environmental Justice
        • Notes from a Landfill Fashionista: Meat Consumption - A Major Polluter By Amara Cordero, Youth Writer
      • The Landfill Fashionista: Podcasting for the Environment
      • Our Urban Town Winter 2021 Blog Version
      • Our Urban Town Winter 2021 >
        • Congratulations to the Friends of Tompkinsville Park and to Artist Musa Hixson
        • The Fabulous Art of Shani Mitchell
        • Landfill Fashionista Art Wall of Portraits at Snug Harbor Cultural Center Through June 2021
        • Take Yourself Off Mute By Rev. Dr. Alfonso Wyatt
        • Grassroots Litter Program Underway
        • Supporting The Mental Health of Teens During COVID-19 Pandemic By Dr. Grace Feyijinmi
        • A Case For Moving Towards a More Culturally Responsive Education For Black and Brown Children By Fern Metcalf
        • Writings of Tysen Metcalf
      • Mental Boxing With Tysen
      • Spring/Summer 2020 >
        • "Tompkinsville’s Urban Village" by John Kilcullen
        • "Two Lynchings, One Borough: The Legacy of a Racialized Community" by Debbie-Ann Paige
        • "Conversations with Staten Islanders The Right to Lifer and the Progressive" by Roxanne Mustafa
        • "Census2020 Staten Island" by Tatiana Arguella
        • "Bittersweet: A Poem for the Environment" by Kristy Anderson
      • Spring/Summer 2019 >
        • "Living A Life Centered on Helping The Community" by Amoy Barnes
        • "Food for Thought" by Melishia Brown
        • "My Thoughts on Immigration" by Friday Martinez
        • "My Period" by Tiffany Davis
        • "REsistah Radio On AIR" by Kelly Villar
        • "Youth & The Power of Words: Thoughts on Teaching Creative Writing to Young People" by Raymond Ramirez
        • Haikus & Pantoums
      • Spring 2018 >
        • "Finding Your Authentic Feminine Power Voice" by Deborah Quinones,
        • "Why We Fight For Housing Dignity On Staten Island" by Deacon Mary Bourne
        • "The Black Helicopter Mom Chronicles" by Tammy Greer Brown
        • "Dyslexic Friendly Communities" by Laura Cavallieri
        • "A Daughter of DACA" by Judith Prado
        • "The Call For The Young Women’s Leadership School On Staten Island" by Susan Master
        • "Profiles of the Past and Present"
        • "The Food Deserts of Staten Island" by Susan Fowler
        • "Profiles of the Future"
        • "Paying It Forward" by Rosalind Diaz
        • "The New Surge of Women Entering the Political Arena: A Moment or a Movement" by Jasmine “Jasi” Robinson
        • "Nature and Justice" by Rev. Gabriella Velardi
        • "Why I March?" by Lorie Honor
        • "War is a Justice Issue" by Brittany Ramos DeBarros
      • Fall/Winter 2018 >
        • "The Debate: Jane Jacobs & Robert Moses On The Developing North Shore" by Kelly Vilar
        • "Why We Fight For Housing Dignity On Staten Island" by Deacon Mary Bourne
        • "Making Businesses Work on Bay Street" by Lorie Honor
        • "The Role of Civic Groups in Shaping Development & Advocating for Communities"
        • "Visualizing The North Shore" by Nicholas Zvegintzov
        • "Reflections on Serving the Poorest Staten Islanders" by Zulma Cruz
        • "Staten Island’s Unacknowledged Crisis of Environmental Devastation" by Saul Porter
        • "Out of School, Out of Work, But Not Out of Options" by Elizabeth Speck & Faoziyat Sanusi
        • "We’re Still Here" by Annecia Steiniger
        • "Thriving Students Reflect Thriving Communities" by Lou Bruschi
        • "The Mis-Education of Staten Island Development" by Kelly Vilar
        • "Maritime Education A future for Staten Island youth" by Captain Ann Fraioli
        • "Nature and Justice" by Rev. Gabriella Velardi
        • "The Promise of Tompkinsville Park: Why we don't give up." by Katie McCarthy
      • Summer 2017 >
        • "Editor's Page URBY and Democracy" by Annecia Steiniger
        • "We’re Still Here" by Annecia Steiniger
        • "Adaptation To Climate Change" by Annecia Steiniger
        • "Reclaim Our Harbors Through Maritime Education" by Isabel Bruschi
        • "Visualizing The North Shore" by Nicholas Zvegintzov
        • "Issues: A Hip Hop View" by Brendyn Owoyemi
        • "Recreation" by Nicolas Vilar
        • "My Concerns for the Growing North Shore of Staten Island" by Delcia Coye
        • Inaugural Issue Fall 2016 >
          • "The Debate: Jane Jacobs & Robert Moses On The Developing North Shore" by Kelly Vilar
          • "The Cromwell Update" by Steve Joseph
          • "The Role of Civic Groups in Shaping Development & Advocating for Communities"
          • "Making Businesses Work on Bay Street" by Lorie Honor
          • "Graffiti and Street Art on Staten Island" by Chris Penn
          • "Why have a Maritime Education & Recreation Corridor?"
          • "Staten Islander's Deserve Housing with Dignity" by Nick Petrie
          • "No School Seats, No Development" by Barbara Sanchez
          • "Confessions of a Black Helicopter Mom" by Tammy Greer Brown
        • "The Power of Play" by Kelly Vilar
      • Winter 2017 >
        • "The Mis-Education of Staten Island Development" by Kelly Vilar
        • "Thriving Students Reflect Thriving Communities" by Lou Bruschi
        • "Bringing Arts, History & Education to the Table: “Sandy Ground at St. John’s” Finale and Our Next Steps" by Robert Fanuzzi
        • "Dyslexic Friendly Communities" by Laura Cavallieri
        • "Breaking Barriers" by Naomi Watts
        • "Truly Organic" by Carmen Abercrombie
        • "Confessions of a Black Helicopter Mom Part Two" by Tammy Greer Brown
        • "An Essay on Social Justice" by Tysen Marcellus Metcalf,
        • "Maritime Education A future for Staten Island youth" by Captain Ann Fraioli
        • "#rebuildcromwell Open Letter No. 16"
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Community Development includes everything related to neighborhood life - from our built environment  (housing, schools, health centers, recreation facilities, libraries, parks etc) to all the services (education, healthcare, transportation, sanitation, judicial, etc) we need access to.  If we want great neighborhoods, then we we must be involved in making them so - this is community development through community involvement. 

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Preparedness actions for coastal flood-prone regions and low-lying areas:


  • Gather Supplies: Every household member should have a Go Bag packed with essential items, such as bottled water, non-perishable food, and basic medical supplies.
  • Tidal Awareness and Coastal Barriers: Monitor tide tables and storm surge forecasts. Know when high tides are expected in your vicinity and be prepared to adjust your plans. Where feasible, deploy sandbags or other deployables suitable for a residence to reduce the risk of tidal water intrusion.
  • Watercraft and Boat Security: If you own boats or watercraft, secure or relocate them immediately. Fluctuating tides can not only carry them away but loose watercraft can cause additional damage.
  • Storm Drains and Local Warnings: Regularly check and clear any nearby storm drains to help manage water runoff and lessen the chances of localized flooding. Pay attention to localized warnings, especially those pertaining to rip currents and high waves.
  • Home Safety and Utility Measures: Ensure your home's sump pumps are operational and familiarize yourself with how to safely shut off utilities like gas, water, and electricity. If you reside in a basement or below-grade apartment, be particularly vigilant, as these areas are more susceptible to flooding. Follow City guidance for additional actions specific to below-grade dwellings. Subscribe to Notify NYC’s Basement Apartment Dweller subgroup for key alerts.
  • Prepare for Outages: To gear up for potential power disruptions, keep your cell phones charged, stock up on supplies. If power outages are predicted, consider adjusting your refrigerator and freezer to colder settings to extend the shelf life of perishable items. Ensure that flashlights and battery-operated radios or TVs are functional, keeping extra batteries on hand. If you rely on Life Sustaining Equipment (LSE) and lose power, dial 911 for immediate assistance, and remember never to use generators indoors. Check on vulnerable individuals in your community, such as older adults and people with disabilities or health conditions, and assist them in their preparations.
  • Pet Safety: Make provisions for your pets' safety, including the need to leave your home and to take your pet with you.
  • Plan for Special Needs & Check on Your Neighbors: Make it a point to check on neighbors who are older adults or who may require special assistance. If you have a disability or specific access and functional needs, make sure your emergency plan accounts for how these factors could impact your ability to respond quickly and communicate effectively during a crisis. Seek assistance from your family or service providers as needed.
  • Avoidance and Caution: Do not venture into flooded areas. These zones may be contaminated or electrically charged. Take preemptive action by assembling a Go Bag with essentials like food, water, and first-aid supplies.
  • Documentation: When it's safe, contribute to our collective flood risk understanding by capturing and submitting photos via the MyCoast portal (https://mycoast.org/ny) or the MyCoast app. Don't forget to also file flood reports through 311.

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Newly formed Environmental Justice Coalition of Staten Island 2023

Our mission is to promote environmental equity and social justice for communities disproportionately affected by environmental hazards with focus on Black, Indigenous, People of Color and other marginalized communities. We strive to create a safe and healthy environment for all people, regardless of their race, ethnicity, or socioeconomic status. We work to empower the most vulnerable communities and promote their participation in decision-making processes regarding environmental policies and practices. We advocate for policies that prioritize public health and environmental protection, and we work towards achieving sustainable communities that prioritize equity and justice. We are dedicated to raising awareness about environmental injustices and fostering sustainable practices for future generations.
Amoy Barnes - Staten Island Social Justice Activist
Brittany Ramos DeBarros - Staten Island Social Justice Activist
Gabri Christa -
Shaolin Films
Gabriella Velardi Ward- Coalition of Wetlands & Forests
Heather Butts - Health For Youths
Idea Viola Reid - Barnard College Student
Jasmine Robinson- SI NAACP Environmental Justice Committee
Jamillah LaSalle -Bait Ul Jamaat House of Community
John Kilcullen - Preservation League of Staten Island
Justin Wood - NY Lawyers For Public Interest
Kelly Vilar - Staten Island Urban Center
Kwynn Hogan - Mariners Marsh Conservancy
Rose Uscianowski - Transportation Alternatives
Roxanne Mustafa - Indivisible Staten Island
​Sarah Blas - Staten Island Therapeutic Garden



Backbone support provided by Staten Island Urban Center
Staff: Sam Cristy and Saul Porter
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Waterfront Access, Divide & Potential
Multimedia Art Experience
​at Governors Island

Opening May 5, 2023 Through October 31, 2023, Staten Island Urban Center (SIUC) debuts We Are A Waterfront: Access, Divide & Potential. This public multimedia art experience foundationally centers on Staten Island’s north shore waterfront as a place in pursuit of social change and environmental justice, takes place at Governors Island’s Nolan Park House 5B. Presenting Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays 11am to 5pm, the exhibit offers art, music, and opportunities for visitors to examine the struggle, potential, creativity and beauty of waterfront neighborhoods when community voices are at the center, fighting for environmental and social justice. 
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“We know that our city includes some of the most incredible public waterfronts in the world, but we also know that the benefits of incredible waterfront design have not been, equitably, equally or even fairly realized, so we need to change that.” said Kelly Vilar, curator of We Are a Waterfront & CEO of the Staten Island Urban Center.  “Our hope is that this exhibit challenges this view and helps to activate the average New Yorker into being a voice for change.”


​Outdoor Exhibition at Tompkinsville Park

Many thanks to our wonderful Staten Island North Shore waterfront community on lifting the community voice on the need for comprehensive planning to make our beautiful waterfront accessible, resilient and vibrant at the Waterfront Access & Divide Outdoor Photo Exhibition in Tompkinsville Park 2022 supported by Staten Island Arts through NY Arts Council Grant, NY Renews through the Tides Foundation and Staten Island Foundation. We also launch and celebrate the official birth of the Staten Island Urban Center for Community Development and Action funded by the Staten Island Foundation.

Staten Island needs bold climate investments now (opinion)

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Last week, an intrepid group of Staten Islanders braved freezing temperatures at 6 a.m. and boarded a bus for Albany to rally outside the capital to urge legislators to include $15 billion in climate investments in this year’s budget. (Courtesy of Treeage/NY Renews)

​​By Kelly Vilar and Justin Wood
Last week, an intrepid group of Staten Islanders braved freezing temperatures at 6 a.m., boarded a bus for Albany, and joined hundreds of New Yorkers from across the state at a rally outside the capital. Why? We want Governor Hochul and our state legislators to include $15 billion in climate investments in this year’s budget, being negotiated over the next two weeks.
Staten Island isn’t often depicted as a hotbed of environmentalism, but it should be a poster child for environmental justice, renewable energy and green jobs. Read full article here.

The Healing Arch at Tompkinsville Park

The Healing Arch
On Wednesday, June 30th the Friends of Tompkinsville Park held a ribbon cutting for The Healing Arch, an 8.5 ft metal sculpture made of stainless steel created by artist Musa Hixson. The Healing Arch represents a community campaign for Peace, Justice and Healing for the Tompkinsville area. This project was funded by Citizens Committee for NYC through a donor advised fund from Bank of America and Partnerships For Parks.  It was produced with the backbone support of the Staten Island Urban Center, Canvas Institute for Arts, Culture and Civic Engagement, NYC Department of Parks Arts in the Parks Program, Staten Island Arts and our Tompkinsville Community. 
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Our Urban Town: Reimagining Staten Island's Waterfront Community
Short documentary on the plight of Staten Island's north shore development and community driven ideas for a MERC Plan
​(Maritime Education, Recreation & Cultural corridor)


Community Voices on Rezoning

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Post Election Discussion on Rezoning 2018 - Let's Rebuild Cromwell Community Coalition

February 26, 2019 Testimony to the NYC Planning Commission on the Bay Street Corridor Rezoning
Honorable members of the NYC Planning Commission,
The Let’s Rebuild Cromwell Community Coalition LRCCC) which has convened and discussed the Bay Street Corridor Rezoning with hundreds of individuals and many community and church groups throughout the north shore since 2016, share with you our most urgent recommendations based on those discussions as you are all important actors in this ULURP process impacting the lives and livelihood of the people of Staten Island’s north shore.

If we are to rezone, it must be worth it to the community that exists here now and be able to accommodate future residents and businesses.  We believe that this rezoning, unlike no other in the city is set to deliver in one fell swoop, one of the most valuable waterfront communities to private development in the history of  New York City development. That being said, the exchange of community benefits outside of affordable units being produced need to be of equal caliber. If we are giving up billions in waterfront value, then there should be billions in investment in the targeted and surrounding communities.

In summary, we recommend if this rezoning is to be approved, it needs to do so with the following conditions:

  1. Deepest affordability to match neighborhood demographics of the BSC targeted area
  2. No private development on city-owned properties and reserve for projects that provide public good
  3. Create a plan for new economic industry like our MERC Corridor Proposal (Maritime Education, Recreation & Cultural corridor)  with opportunities for an unprecedented number of new jobs and careers
  4. Build a state of the art public aquatic center in the footprint of the former Wheel
  5. Investments in existing and new schools serving the BSC area
  6. Substantial investments in transportation through and around the North Shore to include many options of travel and wayfinding
 Recommendations for the Bay Street Corridor Rezoning
From the Let’s Rebuild Cromwell Community Coalition 2019
-Our district needs the deepest affordability. With a third of our residents of low income and rent burdened, it’s the responsibility of government to ensure housing stabilization of affordable housing (25% at 60% AMI and 20% at 40% AMI).  These formulas are more consistent with the economic demographics of existing residents in the Bay Street Corridor area. The homeless crisis affecting Staten islanders causes the worst hardships in the city as we have the least resources of affordable housing, rent controlled units or other tenant protections and subsidies.

While the MIH program is not our preferred means to achieve affordable housing, we realize that no matter the community voice, the city is committed to this program as the means for achieving affordable housing goals.  We believe the city should look at developing community land trusts to build 100% affordable housing as a more viable opportunity.

In addition, we believe that any and all city properties should not be given up to private development but instead be used for affordable housing development or to create more programs like the federal  ELLA Programs under HPD that offer the most diverse of incomes.

Also, since most affordable housing on Staten Island is provided through small homeowners and small property owners, we believe there should be more programs to protect homeowners from bad tenants.  We even believe that there may be innovative ways to use small property owners in the aid of individuals and families who are homeless.

Finally, we believe achieving affordable housing through MIH or any mixed-income residential development will also require a public relations campaign. As evidenced with URBY, the optics, negative press and the lack of leadership on how such programs should work has left  a bad taste and fodder for those who do not support affordable housing. Negative rhetoric about low income tenants causes a bad reputation for Staten Island, thereby influencing a lull in the attraction of market rate tenants.


-We believe city-owned properties should not be used for private development.  City-owned properties should be developed for public use such as public housing, schools, or parks.  Staten Island has limited public spaces with limited opportunities for developing space and facilities for the public good.  We recommend using Lots A and B1 of the Bay Street Corridor Rezoning as sorely needed open sports fields (much like Miller Field in mid-island).  Creating a field would also help alleviate resiliency issues our community experienced during Hurricanes like Irene and Sandy. Overall we believe building housing on the shoreline would be irresponsible and quite conflicting with the city’s own public policy on resiliency post-Hurricane Sandy. Our borough does not need another Build It Back program scenario.  

In addition, we recommend that the 3 properties unattached to the continuous Bay Street Rezoning should be separated from the rezoning and treated as individual parcels in search of variances as needed as they have no relationship to the proposed rezoned corridor. These properties should be reviewed in the context of overall north shore development and should include a community driven disposition process.


-We believe that the rezoning should be in concert and directed by a viable plan for economic and community development such as the Maritime Education Recreation Culture corridor aka MERC. “The MERC corridor provides an opportunity to have Staten Island define development, rather than to have development define Staten Island.” Kelly Vilar

With continuously delayed opening of the Empire Outlet that has gone from high end stores to anyone who will sign a lease;  a failed observation wheel project and an already crumbling infrastructure with gentrification already creeping into the community, we believe the MERC offers a plan that cuts through many of these issues because it’s responsible development  with input from communities that are invested in its success because it benefits the existing communities of the north shore, Staten Island and the city overall. We propose the MERC Corridor plan--- Maritime Education, Recreation & Cultural Corridor.  While the MERC is not a housing plan, we believe it could be a viable plan for community benefits that complement the Borough of Staten Island.

MERC  is a plan to create and enhance our north shore waterfront as an enclave for Maritime uses for education, recreation and waterfront heritage cultural opportunities.  The fact is our north shore has all the makings of MERC and simply needs incentives to further these opportunities which are already at the threshold of new maritime-related industries that offer promise for economic development. MERC fits in nicely with existing proposals and plans for the continuous walkable north shore waterfront, bike paths and destinations for tourists and residents with much-improved wayfinding and purposeful development. The north shore is primed to be a MERC corridor.  Our need now is to be intentional in planning and attracting public and private funding support for such opportunities.

MARITIME EDUCATION: The north shore is home to several maritime education opportunities with programs at McKee High School, Harborview Elementary, and the coming of the Harbor middle school at Fort Wadsworth which could be the start of a Maritime Education Complex at Fort Wadsworth -a site where the U.S. Coast Guard is housed and includes underdeveloped federal property. Staten Island could easily become the maritime education capital for the northeast as there are various economic indicators pointing to a huge need to make up a very needed skilled workforce.  For example, according to the NY Dept of Labor, New Yorkers only capture about 12% of the NY Harbor workforce. This is especially troubling as these are career-level jobs with multiple entry-level opportunities. We believe there is room for opportunity to expand SUNY Maritime, NY Harbor High School and others to train pilots, captains, deckhands, and others for maritime careers.
MARITIME RECREATION: The north shore is home to several existing opportunities for expansion of maritime recreation such SI Kayaking, Lyons Pool, the potential of a new Parks Department indoor pool, SI Sea Scouts, Gotham Whale, Citi Trek Tours, SI Fishing Association and many others.

We recommend the creation of open fields, hydroponic farms, boating and fishing piers throughout the north shore line to complement MERC related activities (improving the community uses for Pier 1 and other pier locations outside of the BSC area from Fort Wadsworth to Snug Harbor to Mariner’s Harbor).

As for Cromwell Recreation Center, we recommend the city not view Cromwell as a community benefit, but as a straightforward responsibility of the city of New York and the replacement of a valuable city asset totally outside the purview of the Bay Street Corridor Rezoning. We believe Cromwell Recreation must be built as a state of the art facility regardless of the approval of this rezoning. (See more under Aquatic Center section of this recommendations report.)

We recommend Cromwell be complemented with sports fields, preferably lots A and B1 of the BSC as the community sorely lacks public space and programming outdoor sports  for soccer, football, baseball, lacrosse, field hockey and others. We believe there is potential to become not only public facilities, but also locations for major sporting events for high school and college level games with easy public transportation and vehicle access.

We recommend the transitioning of Lyons Pool into a pool in the summer and hockey rink in the winter like Lasker Rink in Central Park-Manhattan or at least find a location for an outdoor rink as none exists for sports level competitions in the borough.  There are limited numbers of youth from the north shore exposed to sports such as these as facilities and public programs for them do not exist on the north shore or are cost prohibitive.

Finally, on recreation, we recommend that both Tompkinsville and Tappen Park  receive future planning enhanced by MERC related goals and significant community benefit  investments for capital and programmatic needs as we view these parks as important centerpieces for community gatherings that will contribute greatly to both community and economic development uses.

MARITIME CULTURE: On the cultural front, we believe we are on the verge of creating a viable cultural maritime community corridor that promotes a beautiful and responsible waterfront heritage which could someday be an example for the rest of NYC waterfronts. We are surrounded by the National Lighthouse Museum, Noble Maritime, the gorgeous Snug Harbor, Staten Island Museum, Museum of Maritime Navigation and Communication, and so much more. We believe there is room for providing waterfront for historic ships that not only provide the training ground for maritime education but can also create a tourist attraction (at a much lower cost than the Observation Wheel).  

Recent local events acknowledge unofficially that we are a MERC and are already attracting new opportunities such as the Billion Oyster Project’s work in Staten Island public schools and the Urban Assembly NY Harbor Schools ’s display at the Ferry Terminal. There are also opportunities to attract local, state and federal funding as every level of government has a special interest in developing NY Harbor.  From Snug Harbor to Fort Wadsworth, the shoreline is filled with all sorts of opportunities for development with a variety of funding source potentials such as brownfield development opportunities to living breakwaters and untapped public and private environmental funding. There is room for restorative marine biology and infrastructural waterfront changes that could make the north shore a model for environmental clean up as we are home to one of the most contaminated shorelines on the east coast. Let’s use this opportunity to clean up our waterfront.  

-Build an Aquatic Center in the footprint of the Former Observation Wheel. With the failure of the Observation Wheel, we believe there is an opportunity to merge a negative development action with a positive one.  In one of the last Mayor town hall, Mayor De Blasio promised the long-awaited indoor pool for Staten Island. We recommend the placement of the pool in the footprint of the Wheel as a major aquatic center. As the Borough President Oddo suggested, this pool could be a revenue generator much like Ocean Breeze sharing its time and space as a public facility for all. Moreover, it would be in a location consistent with the MERC, Cromwell and the potential of other recreational spaces along and adjacent to the waterfront. The aquatic center in this location as a state of the art facility with outdoor playgrounds could attract competitions nationally and at the college level.  Additionally, if we are in fact aligning our land use to a MERC corridor- access to adequate swimming facilities will be tantamount. Additionally, investment in a state of the art aquatic and recreation centers with easy transportation access by virtue of being near the major transportation hub--the Staten Island Ferry and Bus Terminal, it becomes a location where all New Yorkers and out of town travelers could easily get to leaving room for revenue generation through competitive sports of all kinds.


-We recommend the deep investment into new and existing schools not just as of need and right for all to receive a quality education, but also in response to the economic development goals of the BSC plan. Promotion of  good schools in areas where investments will be made by market-rate buyers is key.  We believe through the rezoning, there is an opportunity to invest in existing schools; to create and continue the encouragement of partnerships for expansion with off-island schools such as  the NY Harbor School, Women’s Leadership Academy; and to develop the north shore as an educational model of schools attracting talented and diverse faculty, school administrators and resources. We believe if our schools are attractive, our communities will be attractive.


-We recommend unequivocally that infrastructural guarantees and commitments to Staten Island must be in place before any rezoning is approved.  Transportation (to include adequate paths for biking and pedestrians and improved wayfinding), schools, libraries, public recreation, environmental protection, uniformed services, and other relevant city services must be committed with a guaranteed city commitment of adequate resources to adhere to the needs and results of the Bay Street Corridor Rezoning and the change in demographics it will cause.   


     The Let’s Rebuild Cromwell Community Coalition proposes the designation of the north shore Maritime Education & Recreation Cultural Corridor, also known as MERC all along the north shore border of Staten Island.
      MERC as a special corridor or district would provide a long term cohesive guide for shaping our waterfront community as it relates to numerous aspects of neighborhood life such as public access, sustainability, developing new economic development opportunities and assurances that our waterfront remains a centerpiece for the community that surrounds it.  MERC as a valuable planning tool can help us to transition into an ever improving waterfront heritage building community. 
     Anchored by public spaces like parks, piers and recreation centers as hubs, MERC provides connectedness and assurances of public open spaces, recreational and educational facilities and opportunities on our waterfront for everyone.
 Highlights for Staten Island’s MERC Corridor
      Rebuilding of Cromwell Recreation Center at Lyons Pool to include a full service state of the art beautiful public facility with numerous programs for everyone and views of the harbor.
     Creation of the North Fields- an open waterfront green fields for—ballfields, for soccer, baseball, football and hockey located on the water’s edge to also serve as storm mitigation systems.
      MERC would provide community residents an opportunity to experience a maritime/waterfront lifestyle and eco-friendly culture that would attract mariners, boat owners, environmentally conscious citizens, educators and others who historically love and care for the waterfront.
      The physicality of MERC can connect various MERC spaces through common signage, walking and bike paths and/or the use of common memberships and shared space and support new greenways along the waterfront, new vehicle, pedestrian and bike crossings.
      MERC can encourage economic development opportunities like a new maritime education and maritime recreation industries to include an aquatic center with state of the art indoor and outdoor pools. 
     Our waterfront could become the premier location for Maritime Education and Recreation Industry training from learning how to build boats to operating large vessels to small sailboats. 
     We can enhance activities already offered in the area such as Kayaking, Lyons Pool, 50/50 Skate Park, Makerspace, Lighthouse Museum, Museum of Maritime Navigation & Communication, and the Noble Maritime Museum making the waterfront an enclave of family friendly MERC activity. 
     MERC can provide for an improved Tompkinsville park and promenade to include a maritime discovery center or kiosks for horticulture and art programs. 
     There are so many possibilities for a marina-learning dock, and/or, retrofitted learning vessel to offer the  community and school groups hands on opportunities to learn about the waterfront and to conduct activities like water safety classes, fishing instruction, community workshops or building small recreational boats for example.
     MERC could provide an easier path for existing organizations to obtain space or expand programs in the MERC area.
     As the NY Harbor School prepares to open a feeder middle school or high school annex on the north shore so can others of related curricula. We could engage maritime educators such as the Maritime Colleges to consider developing an annex on Staten Island. Provide a pathway for green schools to open on the north shore corridor as its STEM focused curriculum would be enriched by a waterfront environment. 
     We could greatly expand the educational components of the Lighthouse Museum, the Billion Oyster Project, Maritime Museum of Navigation and Communication, Noble Maritime Museum, Staten Island Museum, and others like SI Kayak or Makerspace. 
     MERC can provide a road to long term possibilities for funding or financing the as a corridor or district development incentives. 
     The north shore could become the NYC model town where maritime and environmental ecologists/scientists from all over the world visit to see how we cleaned up our waterfront and turned into an eco-friendly village bustling with new maritime related economic development opportunities. 

From the Cromwell Symposium October 2016

M.E.R.C.
A Maritime Education, Recreation Cultural Corridor for Staten Island's North Shore

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Maritime Education
 A Future for Staten Island Youth
Captain Ann Fraioli, Curriculum & New Schools Developer New York Harbor Foundation
Supporter of the New York Harbor School and Billion Oyster Project

      I feel very fortunate to have had the opportunity to learn about the Cromwell Center and what it meant to Staten Island.  Clearly it was an amazing hub of community activity and a destination not only for the North Shore, but for the whole of Staten Island.  Even more, I am thrilled to be a part of the MERC (Maritime Education & Recreation Corridor) conversation.  
     MERC is a stunning opportunity to re-imagine our relationship with and access to a vital piece of waterfront.  And as the name indicates, maritime education is an essential element of a community’s connection to its waterfront.  Maritime education is an umbrella term that includes a vast array of pursuits and people.  Despite the numerous possibilities that fall under the term, I believe the most effective maritime education is hands-on, interdisciplinary, skills based and project based.  Whether it is data collection for marine science research, engine repair for a vessel, learning how to paddle a kayak, or building underwater ROVs, maritime education gets people connected to and caring about our harbor.
     Maritime education has something to offer people of all ages; however, I am especially excited about maritime education for our young people, our students. New York Harbor is the richest, most essential resource our city has to offer and our students deserve to have access to it, be educated about it and have job opportunities on it.  Maritime education introduces students to meaningful work that gives them the skills and attitudes they need to be prepared for their own future; while also bringing great benefit to the city and its waterways. While maritime education does not necessarily have to lead to maritime employment, it is that at least 300,000 people in the Port of New York and New Jersey directly receive their employment from the port (compared to 160,000 people who work on Wall Street).  Unfortunately, most of these 300,000 jobs are not held by New Yorkers. Our young people deserve to have education about and access to these local jobs, especially because many of these job pay well, are stable and have room for growth.
     Now truth be told, maritime education is an expensive endeavor: boats, docks, tools, science equipment, are all costly items.  Although funding can present a challenge, it also presents an incredible opportunity to partner with organizations and industry from every corner of the harbor.  These partnerships strengthen the educational experience, exposing students to maritime professionals and allowing students to see firsthand the scores of jobs and opportunities that await them here in their own city.  
     Having spent the last fourteen years working with middle and high school students through my work with New York Harbor School and Billion Oyster Project, I am extremely excited about the prospect of opening a Harbor Middle School on Staten Island.  The north shore is already home to a fantastic maritime elementary school, P.S. 59 Harbor View. The development of MERC along the North Shore seems to be an indication that Staten Island is ready to embrace maritime education in an even fuller way. Together we can create a network of Harbor Schools that promotes maritime education and prepares our students for a bright and prosperous future.

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Reclaim Our Harbors through Maritime Education  article excerpt
Isabel Bruschi, West Brighton - Port Richmond High School Student


 “We like to call the waterfront ‘New York’s sixth borough’ these days, but really it’s the first borough,” observed Joshua Laird, the commissioner of National Parks of New York Harbor, “It predates the city and allows it to thrive”. New York City became the center of trade for the United States with the opening of the Erie Canal in 1825. It brought livestock and agricultural goods out of the region around the Great Lakes, today known as the Midwest, into the population centers along the Eastern Seaboard and then to trade with the remaining colonial powers in the Caribbean, the Western Hemisphere, and Europe. Every day, the work taking place in our ports and harbors impacts our daily lives. Our ports serve as an entry point for everything from the gas that runs our cars to the food on our table to the computers on our desks. Although we benefit from our ports tremendously through imports and exports, we fail to take advantage of the maritime careers available. A miniscule twelve percent of New York City Harbor employees are actually natives of our five boroughs, we outsource some of our best paying jobs due to lack of education. On our own North Shore of Staten Island, the maritime world holds a myriad of employment opportunities and it is time for us to lead our youths to take back our waterfront.  
It is imperative that we reclaim our harbors and keep the passion for our waterfront alive and well. 

    We welcome your comments, inquiries and ideas to move our community closer to a MERC waterfront and an environmentally just community. 

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