Officials tout $2.5 million pier investment as part of broader North Shore revitalization

A $2.5 million federal investment will help restore a long-shuttered St. George fishing pier and revitalize the borough’s North Shore, officials announced Monday.

The money, which Rep. Nicole Malliotakis (R-Staten Island/South Brooklyn) earmarked from a federal funding bill passed earlier this year, will be used by the New York City Economic Development Corporation (NYCEDC) for undefined amenities along the mostly-restricted Pier 1.

“The project has been designed with primary objectives of re-establishing public access to the waterfront pier and providing economic, educational and recreational opportunities for the North Shore Community and all of Staten Island,” the congresswoman said.

Safety concerns caused by structural issues have kept 545 feet of the 845-foot pier mostly closed to the public since 2017, but problems date back decades.

NYCEDC took over the property from the city Department of Transportation in the early 2000s, and in 2003, the Advance/SILive.com reported that the renovated pier reopened to the cost of nearly $2.5 million.

An engineering study from the time showed the pier’s pilings had been undermined by wood-eating marine worms and were unsafe, according to prior reporting.

The 300 feet of the pier still accessible has been used sporadically for private cruises partnered with NYCEDC.

While the $2.5 million announced Monday won’t go to correcting the pier’s structural issues, NYCEDC COO Melissa Román Burch said the money will be used for amenities along the pier.

“This is a critically important pier, a critically important site,” she said. “It is really tremendous that we have got partnership at the federal level to work hand in hand with those of us at the city to deliver incredible waterfront amenities for the people of Staten Island.”

Román Burch didn’t specify what amenities would be brought to the site using the funds, but the Advance/SILive.com reported in 2010 that some of the pier’s fishing amenities had fallen into disrepair.

Román Burch and others at the press conference also didn’t say what sort of timeline the money would be used in or when locals can expect the pier to be fully reopened.

What is known is that Pier 1 is a main focus of Mayor Eric Adams’ North Shore Action Plan — a $400 million public investment in Staten Island waterfront stretching from New Brighton to the edge of Stapleton.

Other portions of the North Shore Action Plan include the redevelopment of the site where officials once hoped to place the world’s largest ferris wheel, the construction of the $92 million Mary Cali Dalton Recreation Center, and the creation of more than 500 units of housing in Stapleton.

Councilwoman Kamillah Hanks (D-North Shore), a driving force behind the North Shore Action Plan, said Monday that the $2.5 million federal investment at Pier 1 will help move the broader vision forward.

“This funding is a testament to our advocacy and commitment to improving the quality of life not only for the residents of the North Shore, but all of Staten Island. This is what good government looks like - working together, reaching across the aisle for the betterment of the people we pledged to serve,” she said. “The renovation of Pier 1 will reestablish public access to the waterfront, providing invaluable recreational and educational opportunities for our residents. Moreover, this project will create employment opportunities, stimulate local businesses, and foster a sense of community.”

Borough President Vito Fossella has been an ally of Hanks in her push to make the North Shore investment a reality.

He said Monday that he hoped the public investment would help spur a waterfront revitalization like seen in Brooklyn and other parts of the region.

“We’re waiting for that day and we’re planting the seeds with these types of investments,” he said. “By extension, I want to thank the residents who have committed themselves and made this place better and believed in this community...They know how valuable this jewel is, and that jewel is still untapped.”