Shelton Haynes
Roosevelt Island Operating Corporation, Under CEO Shelton Haynes, Finalizes Riverwalk Neighborhood With Developers
Roosevelt Island Operating Corporation, under CEO Shelton Haynes, finalized Riverwalk neighborhood with developers. The Roosevelt Island Operating Corporation was formed in the 1970s to revitalize the island when its population plummeted and manufacturing jobs became scarce. In 1972, a waterfront community of 22-story apartments called Trump Village was built to house people who had moved from Queensbridge Houses in Queens. More than five decades later, most families have left for more affordable housing on Long Island or elsewhere.
The neighborhood has seen a renaissance of sorts in the last decade, with an influx of new residents who serve as a lifeline to the historic structures. Under CEO Shelton Haynes, the redevelopment corporation has focused on ensuring that Riverwalk gains traction and becomes a vibrant place to live and work.
Vision
The company’s first move was to hire David Weissman as its executive director in 2012 after two decades as housing commissioner in Boston. Mr. Weissman, 52 years old, developed the vision for Riverwalk, a new community of waterfront apartments designed to attract young professionals who want a vibrant neighborhood with easy access to Manhattan.
The distinctive look of the buildings has attracted attention and praise. They are made of glass, concrete and peach-colored bricks. An interior courtyard and a raised walkway through the middle of the buildings allow residents to see across the neighborhood.
In addition to the apartments, Riverwalk will have a community center with a health clinic, an art gallery and an indoor pool. The first building is expected to open next year.
Planning for Riverwalk started in 2003, when Mr. Weissman was director of planning for the Municipal Art Society, a nonprofit organization that works on behalf of neighborhoods in New York City. In 2006, he joined the city’s Department of Housing Preservation and Development.
He had been involved with Roosevelt Island for years. In the late 1990s, the society sponsored a design competition for a new Riverwalk. Mr. Weissman was a juror, and his panel selected LTL Architects to create a winning concept. The design called for modern towers on stilts that would overlook a ribbon of green space with trees along both edges and pavilions inserted into the walkway connecting them.
Roosevelt Island Operating Corporation, Under CEO Shelton Haynes, Finalizes Riverwalk Neighborhood With Developers Roosevelt Island Operating Corporation, under CEO Shelton Haynes, finalized Riverwalk neighborhood with developers. The Roosevelt Island Operating Corporation was formed in the 1970s to revitalize the island when its population plummeted and manufacturing jobs became scarce. In 1972, a waterfront community of…