NYC unveils plan for Hillside Grove affordable housing and grocery store on Staten Island

New York’s Staten Island — As part of the North Shore Action Plan, city officials have made significant progress in bringing a new supermarket and 232 new affordable housing units to Tompkinsville.

A comprehensive plan for the construction of Hillside Grove, a mixed-use affordable housing development with a grocery store, community center, and open space at the Department of Sanitation (DSNY) garage on Jersey Street, has been released by the city’s Department of Housing Preservation and Development (HPD).

According to Council Member Kamillah M. Hanks (D-North Shore), this revolutionary project is long overdue and will truly change the game for Staten Island’s North Shore. The neighborhood has long voiced its need for more accessible amenities, lively public areas, and more reasonably priced homes. With its affordable apartments, senior housing, a much-needed grocery store, and community resources in the center of Jersey Street, Hillside Grove is the realization of that goal.

Volunteers of America – Greater New York, Spatial Equity Co., and Nehemiah HDFC, partners in affordable housing, will work together to construct Hillside Grove. Purpose by Design Architects, a Minority and Women-owned Business Enterprise (M/WBE) design collaborative with a mission to promote inclusive, sustainable, and healthy spaces, is designing the housing community.

Although the city has provided designs of the future town, it has not yet released a development date.

Hillside Grove in rendering.Purpose-driven design architects’ courtesy

For the North Shore of Staten Island, Hillside Grove represents a promise of rebirth, hope, and community development. According to HPD Commissioner Adolfo Carrion Jr., this project will turn a long-overlooked property into 232 reasonably priced houses, lively green areas, and necessary community services, providing a place for families to flourish. Housing on Staten Island should honor the island’s strong sense of community and desire for reasonably priced, high-quality living. This project is a brilliant illustration of what can be achieved when we work together to make investments in our communities and the futures of our neighbors.

Inside Hillside Grove community

Inspired by the neighborhood’s sloping terrain, historic residences, and dense tree canopy, Hillside Grove is intended to be an urban oasis that fosters community and well-being. According to HPD, the project’s design incorporates 4- and 5-story structures and reflects the principles of trauma-informed design, universal and inclusive design, aging in place, active design, zero waste, and health and wellbeing.

A public plaza for bus passengers and grocery store patrons is located at the intersection of Jersey Street and Victory Boulevard, a public plaza at Brook Street, and widened sidewalks with shaded seating along Jersey Street, all of which are part of the design of Hillside Grove. In addition to a jogging path, community garden, recreation area, and lounging area, an inner courtyard for residents will offer passive open space.

Jersey Street Sanitation Garage. (Paul Liotta/Staten Island Advance)

The neighborhood will feature a number of sustainable practices, including as rooftop solar, mid-door gardens, a geothermal energy system, and Passive House certification. The development will make use of heat mitigation and stormwater management techniques, such as rainwater collection and storage, green roofs, retention ponds, dry wells, porous pavement, and the planting of more than 100 trees.

According to Leila Bozorg, Executive Director for Housing, this administration has prioritized leveraging city agencies’ publicly held land to build affordable housing. I’m excited to learn that Volunteers of America-Greater New York, Spatial Equity Co., and Nehemiah HDFC have been chosen to turn a DSNY garage into an affordable housing neighborhood that offers Staten Islanders the chance to rent or buy a house. This project will raise the standard for the kinds of creative and environmentally friendly projects that can be carried out on land that was previously controlled by a city agency.

Highlights of the new community

Hillside Grove’s highlights include:

• 
  232 affordable homes across three residential buildings, including a
  
• 
  senior building with 90 homes, up to 60% of the Average Median Income (AMI)
  
• 
  multifamily rental building with 105 homes, up to 80% AMI
  
• 
  homeownership coop building
  
• 
  a grocery store,
  
• 
  community facility space,
  
• 
  below grade parking, and
  
• 
  more than 46,000 square feet of outdoor open space throughout the project.
  

Buildings in Hillside Grove

The complex will comprise the following structures:

• 
  The senior rental building: Hillside Grove will include a rental building targeted to senior citizens with approximately 90 homes affordable to those earning up to 60% of the area median income.
  
• 
  The multifamily rental building: Hillside Grove s multifamily building will have approximately 105 affordable homes that will serve a mix of affordability levels from extremely low-income households to those earning up to 80% of the area median income.
  
• 
  The homeownership co-op building: The homeownership building will include about 37 affordable homes available for purchase by moderate-income households.
  
• 
  Extremely Low Income Households: Approximately two-thirds of the affordable homes at Hillside Grove will be reserved for extremely low and very low-income households, including about 60 homes reserved for families placed from the Department of Homeless Services (DHS) shelter system.
  

Amenities included

The following residential facilities will be available in Hillside Grove in addition to the reasonably priced housing:

• 
  community rooms, space for residents including outdoor recreation space, exercise rooms, a classroom computer lab, laundry rooms, resident lounges;
  
• 
  jogging path for residents;
  
• 
  two mid-door gardens, which are designed as year-round indoor green spaces with passive sustainability benefits; and
  
• 
  a grocery store and a community facility space that will be programmed by local partners.
  

Additionally, Volunteers of America-GNY will offer case management for the formerly homeless households in the senior and multifamily rental buildings, as well as supportive services in the senior building designated for that purpose.

Stories by

Tracey Porpora

• After the death of Jimmy Carter, who is the oldest living former U.S. president?

• First steps to remove controversial Staten Island fence visible on Friday

• FDA recalls popular eye drops for fungal contamination

• National exhibit, Voices and Votes: Democracy in America , comes to Staten Island

• It took a lot of blood, sweat and tears ; Staten Islander finds success offering custom facials

Tracey Porpora can be followed on Bluesky and Facebook.

Note: Every piece of content is rigorously reviewed by our team of experienced writers and editors to ensure its accuracy. Our writers use credible sources and adhere to strict fact-checking protocols to verify all claims and data before publication. If an error is identified, we promptly correct it and strive for transparency in all updates, feel free to reach out to us via email. We appreciate your trust and support!