Northeast Real Estate Business magazine covers the multifamily, retail, office, healthcare, industrial and hospitality sectors in the Northeast United States.
Issue link: https://northeastrealestatebusiness.epubxp.com/i/632700
24 • January/February 2016 • Northeast Real Estate Business www.REBusinessOnline.com EMPIRE OUTLETS, CREATING A TOURIST MECCA Staten Island's North Shore is being revitalized with retail, restaurants and attractions. By Amy Bigley Works B FC Partners is transforming the New York City experience with the development of the 1.1 mil- lion-square-foot Empire Outlets on Staten Island's North Shore. Revital- izing the island with retail, restaurant and venue opportunities, the project includes a 340,000-square-foot retail complex with more than 100 designer outlet stores; a 190-room hotel; 40,000 square feet of food and beverage space; and a 1,250-space structured parking garage. Additionally, the project features The Marketplace at Empire Outlets (MRKTPL), a culinary destination on the waterfront. At more than 12,000 square feet and 3,000 additional square feet of outdoor dining, MRKT- PL will feature an innovative artisanal food market showcasing the best lo- cal and international restaurants and purveyors in a relaxed and communal setting. A collaboration between Gansevoort Market and BFC Partners, MRKTPL will offer residents and tourists a taste of New York City. Being developed by BFC Partners, Empire Outlets is part of a two-acre tract for which the New York City Economic Develop- ment Corp. issued a request for ex- pressions of inter- est three years ago. BFC Partners and New York Wheel LLC were selected to develop the sites, as each company's plans were complementary. "New York City is a fashion and re- tail mecca — what better location for a retailer to open a fagship outlet con- cept than on the harbor in the most visited city on the planet, and there's no better partner to have on this en- deavor than the New York Wheel team," notes Joseph Ferrara, principal with BFC Partners. Designed by SHoP Architects, the Empire Outlets will feature open cor- ridors and pedestrian walkways to the water, a sustainable green roof vis- ible from the St. George Harbor and a contemporary design that refects the industrial waterfront. Tourism Destination With its location on the Staten Island port, each of the approximately 70,000 daily ferry riders will pass through Empire Outlets on their way to the free ferry. In addition to this natural advertising, BFC Partners has teamed up with its waterfront partners to tap into marketing that will draw millions more from all over the world to the re- vitalized Staten Island waterfront: the development companies have created "Destination St. George" as a cam- paign to launch and market the North Shore of Staten Island as a worldwide tourist destination. The campaign promotes all that Staten Island has to offer: sporting events, cultural events and museums, retail and restaurant experiences, and entertainment ven- ues along the waterfront. As the frst retail outlet center in New York City, Empire Outlets will give tourists the ability to check off a few NYC "must-do" items in a single day. Tourists can ride the Staten Is- land Ferry, see the Statue of Liberty, shop at premier retailers, experience the New York Wheel, visit museums at Snug Harbor Cultural Center, wan- der through award-winning botanical gardens, and close out the night with a show at St. George Historic Theater or by cheering on the Staten Island Yankees, all while enjoying views of the New York City skyline. To keep Empire Outlets, which is opening later this year, fresh for visi- tors and residents, the development team is already considering ways to keep the experience exciting and new. "We want to make sure the possibili- ties are endless and diverse," explains Ferarra. "With ideas ranging from bringing in animals from the local zoo to creating annual holiday displays, interacting with the light installation at the New York Wheel — we want to keep people coming back time and time again." In addition to bringing mixed-use and retail space to Staten Island's wa- terfront, Empire Outlets is revamping one of the most traffcked commuter hubs on Staten Island. The project is creating a 70,000-square-foot over- build to protect the existing subway, which is the start of the Staten Island Rapid Transit System, from potential super storms and fooding and de- veloping a parking structure that will accommodate commuter and visitor 10 Corporate Ctr. Ste. 100 • New Castle, DE • 302.322.9500 • www.emoryhill.com Commercial Brokerage | Construction | Property Management Maintenance | Residential Real Estate Service When it comes to fnding the perfect space... We're Here for You. 739 W. Cypress St. Kennett Sq., PA +/-7,718 sf end unit available unit in upscale shopping center with abundant park - ing; join Susquehana Bank, Shinn's Paint Store and other fne retailers in growing area with high incomes. 3421 Kirkwood Hwy. Wilmington , DE +/-9,300 sf of retail space in highly visible shopping center on busy Kirkwood Hwy.; co- tenants include Advance Auto, Palace of Asia Restaurant, and Gigante International Food Market. 3915 Kirkwood Hwy. Wilmington, DE +/- 6,020 sf of retail space in free standing building with room for expansion on .53 acre lot on highly visible Kirkwood Hwy.; located in highly popu - lated, high income area with high traffc count. For more information contact Jim O'Hara Jr.: 302-322-7249 or 302-584-1632 (cell) jimohara@emoryhill.com SITE MRKTPL will showcase local and international purveyors and restaurants in a relaxed communal setting. Joseph Ferrara Principal, BFC Partners