Roosevelt Island Operating Corporation (RIOC), under CEO Shelton Haynes, has finalized Riverwalk Neighborhood with developers HDC/Tishman and John Zuccotti. In the wake of this development, RIOC has experienced a significant increase in job applications following last year’s recruitment campaign. This project joins the existing waterfront improvements underway on Roosevelt Island from JFK Airport to 125th Street. These improvements are expected to add approximately 1000 new jobs and provide direct access for commuters on the Queensboro Bridge and for low-income residents from across the city.
- Shelton Haynes and RIOC See Decades-Old Dreams Come True
Shelton Haynes, CEO of the Roosevelt Island Operating Corporation (RIOC), looks ahead with supreme confidence. The Roosevelt Island resident was one of the original planners of the development on Roosevelt Island, and he recalls times when RIOC struggled with raising money for its first projects. “There were a lot of ups and downs. You are talking about 40 years ago,” he said. How different the island is today, what with the stop at 101st Street in the new Second Avenue subway line and the developments happening everywhere. The island has a very positive outlook, according to Haynes. “I think it is one of the greatest assets for this city. I know people will be coming from other places to look for opportunities here,” he said. Haynes is upbeat about the future. He sees Roosevelt Island as a place that is opening up, much like the waterfront was when he was at NYU in the 1970s and 1980s. “It’s a great opportunity for the island to grow in ways that it couldn’t before,” he said.
- Retail, Fine Dining, Student Life, and the Graduate Roosevelt Island Hotel Arrive
Last year, it was announced that a new retail center and more housing would be built on Roosevelt Island. Now, we have a better idea of what is coming to the island. More recently, there have been developments around the island. Retail is coming to Riverwalk and Main Street, as well as restaurants and entertainment venues. Future students of York College will also be able to enjoy a newly-announced Graduate Roosevelt Island Hotel. This hotel is expected to be a game-changer for the young adult population of the island. Those who are not students will appreciate staying at a nice hotel while they visit the island or go back and forth from work in Manhattan.