STATEN ISLAND, NY — A new partnership with the Staten Island Chamber of Commerce is aiming to restore the Pavilion Hill Steps in Tompkinsville.
Councilmember Kamillah Hanks, who represents the North Shore, led a community walk-through of the Pavilion Hill Steps on Friday. At the top of the steps, she informed constituents that their concerns for them would be addressed in a $65,000 fund that has been allocated to work on a myriad of small local projects.
New partnership with Staten Island Chamber of Commerce aims to address safety concerns and drug activity at the historic Tompkinsville stairway that has fallen into disrepair.(Advance/SILive.com) | Nicolette Cavallaro
New partnership with Staten Island Chamber of Commerce aims to address safety concerns and drug activity at the historic Tompkinsville stairway that has fallen into disrepair.(Advance/SILive.com) | Nicolette Cavallaro
“I am proud to announce that the new partnership with the Staten Island Chamber of Commerce, funded through the most recent fiscal year, is to coordinate regular cleaning and maintenance of the Tompkinsville stairway,” Hanks stated. “This initiative is about more than upkeep. It’s about restoring safety, accessibility and pride to a place that’s part of this neighborhood’s daily rhythm.”
The “step street,” also known as the Tompkinsville Stairs, is a vital access way from Tompkins Circle to the delis, restaurants and shops on Victory Boulevard. It also provides an easy route to catch buses to the St. George Ferry Terminal and Manhattan.
New partnership with Staten Island Chamber of Commerce aims to address safety concerns and drug activity at the historic Tompkinsville stairway that has fallen into disrepair.(Advance/SILive.com) | Nicolette Cavallaro
New partnership with Staten Island Chamber of Commerce aims to address safety concerns and drug activity at the historic Tompkinsville stairway that has fallen into disrepair.(Advance/SILive.com) | Nicolette Cavallaro
Over the years, the passage, which is located at the corner of Victory Boulevard and Monroe Avenue has become a haven for drug use, prostitution and other dangerous behavior, according to previous Advance/SiLive.com reporting.
“It’s been a safety concern for many years. There’s people on the steps doing drugs. There’s bottles and all kinds of debris, needles and things on the steps, so we just kind of stopped using it completely,” said Gerard Rizzo, a resident of Tompkins Circle and the president of the Ward/Nixon Civic Association. “It also allows people to gather there and hang out, which isn’t safe for the rest of the neighborhood.”
The Advance first documented drug debris on the staircase back in 2016, including needles, syringe packaging, small plastic baggies and alcohol swabs.
In 2023, the Advance also reported that the Borough President Vito Fossella visited the space and connected with NYPD and the city Sanitation Department about the issues.
Earlier this year, following that incident, Fossella, Hanks, District Attorney Michael E. McMahon and Sen. Jessica Scarcella-Spanton, who represents the North Shore and parts of Brooklyn, wrote a letter to Mayor Adams demanding the city intervene.
New partnership with Staten Island Chamber of Commerce aims to address safety concerns and drug activity at the historic Tompkinsville stairway that has fallen into disrepair.(Advance/SILive.com) | Nicolette Cavallaro
New partnership with Staten Island Chamber of Commerce aims to address safety concerns and drug activity at the historic Tompkinsville stairway that has fallen into disrepair.(Advance/SILive.com) | Nicolette Cavallaro
“The city must act immediately to assume control of this staircase and address the severe safety risks posed by the lack of lighting, unchecked drug activity, and overall disrepair,” the letter stated.
One of the main issues is that according to the city the staircase doesn’t exist.
A Law Department title investigation completed in Feb. 2024, found no record of the staircase ever being conveyed to the City of New York. It was also determined that the stairway is outside the city’s right-of-way and is likely anonymously and privately owned.
The Pavilion Hill Corp. likely built the staircase when it developed homes on Tompkins Circle in 1916. When the organization became defunct, the ownership of the steps became unknown.
New partnership with Staten Island Chamber of Commerce aims to address safety concerns and drug activity at the historic Tompkinsville stairway that has fallen into disrepair.(Advance/SILive.com) | Nicolette Cavallaro
New partnership with Staten Island Chamber of Commerce aims to address safety concerns and drug activity at the historic Tompkinsville stairway that has fallen into disrepair.(Advance/SILive.com) | Nicolette Cavallaro
With this new partnership and set of discretionary funding, the community hopes that the staircase will become a scenic path for residents and visitors alike.
Some of the proposed changes include cleaning up the brush, fixing the broken fences, adding patrols and installing street lights to illuminate the steps.
“It’s a pathway for our community and we are excited about making it more safe and accessible for everyone who’s commuting to New York City from this beautiful location,” said Rizzo at the end of the walk.
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