STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- An abandoned half-mile stretch of rail line in Port Richmond could become parkland, much like Manhattan's High Line, if the Staten Island Economic Development Corp. gets its way.

The SIEDC announced Wednesday that it has launched a design competition to transform the unused rail right-of-way.

"Realizing we have this long abandoned North Shore Rail Line, I wanted to look into how we could replicate what they did in Manhattan," said Cesar Claro, SIEDC president and CEO.

"We met with Friends of the High Line in Manhattan ... and came up with a plan using the Manhattan High Line as the roadmap, and it will start with a design competition."

The proposed North Shore High Line will be .53 miles long from Richmond Terrace at Heberton Avenue in the east to Nicholas Avenue in the west.

Claro said that some of the borough's worst illegal dumping takes place along the defunct rail line.

"On both sides, there is tons of garbage just dropped there. Plus, it's a blight on the community. Kids can get hurt climbing up there," Claro said.

$30 MILLON PRICE TAG

He hopes to tap into federal funding and work with local elected officials to fund the project, which he estimated would cost about $30 million.

Claro noted that such a project would take several years -- possibly two decades -- to complete.

"Keep in mind Manhattan's High Line took 20 years from idea to creation," he said.

POSITIVE IMPACT

Salvatore Calcagno Jr., SIEDC's ambassador for the project, said a North Shore High Line Park would have the potential to positively impact the economy of the neighborhoods around it.

"The right-of-way of the abandoned North Shore railway in Port Richmond represents an unprecedented economic and recreational opportunity," he said.

"Based on the success of the High Line on the West Side of Manhattan, we believe that activating the dormant line in a similar fashion can be a transformative project for the area. We hope this leads to an active public space along the line," Calcagno added.

According to Calcagno, benefits of the project would include:

Activation of dormant space;

Beautification of the abandoned railway;

Creation of and access to much needed park space;

Encouragement for new businesses to open in the area;

Overall financial growth for the area;

Opportunities for safe biking and walking;

Educational tours and community engagement;

Launch of community benefit programs, including gardens and social programs.

According to a study conducted by Michael Levere, a PhD candidate in economics at UC San Diego, the Manhattan High Line had a tangible effect on the value of homes located within a third of a mile of it, leading to a 10 percent increase in housing prices. "If our high line is half as successful as Manhattan's, it will be a major boon to the community," said Calcagno.

DESIGN COMPETITION

The SIEDC design competition is open to planners, designers, engineers, architects and urbanists across the region. The SIEDC is even encouraging submissions from local residents.

The proposals will need to include the following:

A point-of-view image of walking on the High Line (hand-drawn artwork -- colored pencils/markers -- or computer aided design);

An electronic and mounted version of the image on styrofoam or cardboard (30 inches high by 48 inches long);

A proposed name and logo for the project.

The proposals should be e-mailed to Steven Grillo, SIEDC's first vice president, at Steven@siedc.org and a mounted version delivered to SIEDC's office at 900 South Avenue, Suite 402, no later than Friday, April 7.

Point-of-view images submitted through the competition will be on display at the SIEDC's 18th annual Business Conference on April 27 in the Hilton Garden Inn, Bloomfield.

Votes from the public will be tallied and an announcement of the winning design and name will be announced at the SI Green Expo on June 8.

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