Neighbors of a former St. John’s College campus on Staten Island are nervous the bucolic web site will develop into low-income housing – however officers say nothing is within the works but.
Locals within the hill group overlooking New York harbor are bracing for the likelihood {that a} developer will purchase the 16-5-acre web site and convert it into a large housing growth after 18 months with no bulletins about the way forward for the property, the Staten Island Advance first reported.
“Not one of the events that we’re in dialogue with have expressed any curiosity in developing low-income housing,” St. John’s mentioned in a press release.
St. John’s, whose important campus in Queens continues to be totally functioning, closed the campus after years of declining enrollment and put it up on the market with hopes that one other college would purchase the property and hold it largely intact.
However with no official announcement, rumors have swirled and issues have mounted.
Staten Island Borough President Vito Fossella mentioned he’s involved the property will likely be vacant for an prolonged interval, like the previous Mount Manresa retreat web site in Fort Wadsworth close to the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge — which closed a decade in the past.
“It’s one of many nicest neighborhoods in New York Metropolis. The St. John’s campus web site has one of the best views of New York harbor, and among the best views of a waterway within the nation,” Fossella mentioned.
“To date, it sits empty.”
Councilwoman Kamillah Hanks additionally she mentioned desires the property offered to a purchaser who will keep the picturesque character of Grymes Hill.
“I made a dedication to make sure we can have a purchaser the group will likely be in favor of. Neighbors have a proper to be involved,” Hanks mentioned.
There’s been discussions with Wagner School concerning the web site, however the property seems to be bigger than Wagner’s wants. Different schools have proven curiosity in establishing a foothold within the metropolis — however in Manhattan.
Nashville-based Vanderbilt College entered a lease settlement with the Basic Theological Seminary to take over 13 buildings and practically 150,000 sq. toes of house in Chelsea.
In the meantime, Boston-based Northeastern College is absorbing Marymount School on the Higher East Facet.
The previous St. John’s property is well-known to President-elect Donald Trump. The Trump Group, then run by his father, Fred, as soon as owned the close by Grymes Hill backyard residences and Donald visited the complicated.
Fossela quipped that perhaps enterprise mogul Elon Musk — who has emerged as a high adviser to Trump — might generate one thing particular for the vacated campus.
“If Elon Musk is , we are going to give him a private tour,” he mentioned.
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