STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- If all goes according to plan, commuters and others traveling to Manhattan on the Staten Island Ferry will once again be able to park vehicles in close, convenient proximity to the St. George terminal.

The New York Wheel pubic parking garage is expected to open on Friday, June 3, Wheel president and CEO Rich Marin told SILive.com.

Looking through a construction fence window on Richmond Terrace: Ramp for the New York Wheel pubic parking garage, with great waterfront view. Thursday, May 5, 2016. (Staten Island Advance/Virginia N. Sherry)

The waterfront garage will accommodate 820 vehicles in the first phase, with 950 total spaces available when construction is completed.

Entrance to this public garage -- initially -- will be from Bank Street, at the foot of Jersey Street in New Brighton, Marin said.

New city regulations governing the operation of cranes delayed opening of the much-anticipated public garage:

The crane regulations cost lost work days on the garage site.

"I've lost count -- over 25 days" in total, Marin estimated.

GARAGE DETAILS



Marin provided additional information about eventual commuter access to the garage.

"As you can see now, there is a new ramp from our garage second-level to Richmond Terrace at Nicholas Street," which intersects Richmond Terrace.

"When we get all the proper permissions, we will do the curb cut and get the light adjusted, and open that ramp for parking traffic in and out of the garage," Marin reported.

"It will be much more convenient for many commuters than going down to Jersey Street to get on Bank Street," he said.

Direct access to the garage from Richmond Terrace is expected to be in place in summer 2016, Marin anticipates.

"When we open on June 3, the garage will be attended (but likely no stackers).

"We hope to amend the permit as soon as possible to allow over 40 percent of the spaces to be self-park," he said.

"Then we expect -- before the end of the year -- to have the rest of the garage constructed and certified for use so that there will be a 950 car-capacity, of which 660 spaces will be self-park."