STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. — Borough President Vito Fossella plans to publicly reject a proposal to build affordable housing on City University of New York campuses, citing concerns about infrastructure and student needs.
Fossella, a Republican, will host a press conference on Wednesday at the College of Staten Island in Willowbrook, the borough’s only public institution of higher education, to announce his opposition to the plan.
His remarks will follow a report from a nonprofit think tank that recommends converting unused or open space on CUNY campuses into affordable housing.
The College of Staten Island campus devotes more than 25 acres to parking.(Advance/SILive.com | Paul Liotta)
The Center for an Urban Future — a nonprofit organization that works to “reduce inequality, increase economic mobility and grow the economy” — released a report recommending Mayor Zohran Mamdani undertake the initiative.
The project could generate between $30 million and $55 million annually for the city and City University of New York campuses, the group estimates.
“This is an idea the mayor could run with,” Eli Dvorkin, the center’s editorial and policy director, told the New York Post. “There’s a lot of opportunity on CUNY campuses. We’re talking about vacant land.”
The center’s analysis identified specific development opportunities at multiple locations, such as Brooklyn College, City College and Queensborough Community College.
The report also highlighted the College of Staten Island’s Willowbrook campus.
The 204-acre campus has more than 25 acres devoted to parking. Redeveloping a single 5-acre parking site could generate roughly $500,000 to $900,000 in annual revenue while preserving most campus parking, according to the report.
According to the borough president’s office, building affordable housing at CSI would create problems due to limited parking, insufficient public transit access and a lack of amenities needed to support residential living. The campus currently has approximately 2,600 parking spaces for 11,000 students, staff and event attendees.
Fossella’s opposition centers on protecting CUNY students’ educational experience and preserving the borough’s low-density character. The proposal also comes as the City of Yes initiative pushes for higher-density development across Staten Island.