Big developments cropping up in Staten Island

Staten Island seems to be catching up with the other four boroughs.

New developments are coming to the fifth borough and more New Yorkers are moving there, according to the New York Times. The new projects are mostly located on the North Shore of the island in the Stapleton, St. George, Tompkinsville and Clifton neighborhoods, the newspaper reported.

A 630-foot ferris wheel as well as BFC Partners’ Empire Outlets — a $350 million mall and entertainment complex — are slated to come to St. George. Ground was broken on the Empire Outlets last week.

A $250 million mixed-use project — named “Urban Ready Life” or URL — is also being built along the waterfront. The development will include 900 rental apartments, the newspaper reported. Triangle Equities’ Lighthouse Point, another development in St. George, will include a 12-story building with 116 apartments as well as stores, offices and restaurant space.

Staten Island is becoming a viable place to live in the city, owner of Kingsley Real Estate Sari Kingsley told the newspaper. “It was a borough that was sleepy but has woken up,” she told the Times. “And we deserved to wake up already.” [NYT] — Claire Moses