STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. — For the first time in recent memory, the future of the Park Hill Apartments is bright.
After decades of enduring inadequate, unsanitary living conditions, the more than 1,000 Staten Islanders who call the eight-building complex home will soon see their apartments receive a major facelift.
On Monday, various local elected officials gathered outside 180 Park Hill Avenue to announce a change in ownership and massive $165 million rehabilitation project coming to the apartment complex.
“For far too long, the residents of Park Hill have been forced to live with neglect, disrepair, and conditions no community should ever have to accept. From day one in office, I made it clear this was unacceptable. I worked alongside my colleagues in government to ensure that these conditions would no longer be ignored,” said Councilmember Kamillah Hanks, who has been among the driving forces in advocating for the rehabilitation of the apartments.
The project will be led by the apartments’ new ownership group — a joint venture of The Arker Companies, L+M Development Partners and LIHC Investment Group — which has rehabilitated tens of thousands of affordable housing units across the five boroughs in recent years.
“These rehabilitation efforts and new leadership will not only give Park Hill families long-overdue peace of mind; they will fully transform every building so residents can feel comfortable remaining in their homes for the long-term,” said State Sen. Jessica Scarcella-Spanton.
The previous owner of the eight-building apartment complex, Michael Shah, who is the founder and CEO of DelShah Capital, confirmed the change in ownership to the Advance/SILive.com.
“Delshah Capital is no longer the owner of Park Hill Apartments. It was sold to the best affordable housing developers in the city. They will be handling the project in its entirety and we will not have any involvement going forward,” Shah said in an emailed statement.
Shah had previously told the Advance/SILive.com that a rehabilitation project was in the works, but had not mentioned that it would include a change in ownership.
This photo from Oct. 17, 2023, shows an aerial look at the Park Hill Apartments in Clifton.Jason Paderon
The project will receive funding from all levels of government, including $98.5 million from the New York City Department of Housing Preservation and Development, $50 million from New York State Homes and Community Renewal’s Multifamily Preservation Program and federal support through the US Department of Housing and Urban Development.
“For too long we battled with the previous owners on behalf of our constituents who were subjected to subpar living conditions. These improvements are necessary and long overdue and we look forward to seeing these capital projects completed,” said Rep. Nicole Malliotakis.
The rehabilitation will bring significant improvements to each unit, including new kitchens, bathrooms, radiators, flooring and windows, as well as updated electrical wiring and plumbing enhancements.
Other building-level improvements include lobby renovations, boiler overhauls, elevator work, facade repairs, improved security measures and increased handicap accessibility.
“As a team with deep experience in affordable housing preservation, we are committed to delivering quality homes that Park Hill families deserve. This rehabilitation will address critical building systems and quality of life conditions while preserving affordability for the long-term,” said Dan Moritz, principal at The Arker Companies, which is based in Roslyn, N.Y.
The project is expected to begin next month and take roughly two years to complete, according to Simon Bacchus, director of development for The Arker Companies.
Bacchus noted that this is a “tenant in place rehabilitation,” meaning the vast majority of residents will be able to remain in their apartments while the work is being done. There may, however, be a few exceptions when tenants would be temporarily relocated to facilitate accessibility enhancements.
The new owners plan to hold resident engagement meetings early next year to engage tenants and provide a more concrete timeline for the project.
Alasha Murray, who has lived at Park Hill for five years, said she’s reached out about issues at the apartment complex numerous times and is excited that change is finally coming.
“I have a cleaning business and I go to other developments and seeing the differences really affected me,” said Murray. “It affected me because I feel like I wasn’t doing enough for my community. I had to stand up and I had to show face for the other residents to let them know that it’s okay to voice your concerns. It’s okay to reach out for help because we can’t do it by ourselves.”
Members of Citizen Action and the residents of the Park Hill Apartment complex in Clifton protest the living conditions on Tuesday, Nov. 16, 2022. (Staten Island Advance/Jason Paderon)Conditions at Park Hill
The rehabilitation of the 1,100-unit development is much-needed, with residents having long complained about substandard living conditions in the buildings.
Just this year, the city Department of Housing Preservation and Development has issued more than 1,200 violations across the complex in 2025 for varying conditions. The most consistent violations are for things like pest problems; faulty or missing smoke and carbon monoxide detectors; broken windows and doors; and mold or unsanitary water conditions.
In a June tour of one of the Park Hill buildings, longtime resident Olga Navarro told the Advance/SILive.com that she’s never seen the building in worse condition than it is now during her 30 years living there.
Olga Navarro, a longtime resident of the Park Hill development gives a tour of her building’s conditions on Thursday, June 5, 2025.(Advance/SILive.com|Paul Liotta)
Navarro, who lives at 280 Park Hill Ave., alleged that previous ownership’s unwillingness to address longstanding issues had led to an almost untenable situation.
Specifically, the longtime tenant pointed to unsanitary conditions throughout her building’s common areas, leaky pipes and a long, filled-in strip between 280 and 260 Park Hill Ave., an apparent leftover from prior gas line work.
Additionally, Navarro said accessibility has been a growing problem as many long-time tenants age at the development with handicap ramps only in the back of their buildings and elevators that go in and out of service.
Other issues noticed during a tour of the complex in early June included broken mail boxes in the lobby of 280 Park Hill Ave., non-functioning security systems, and peeling ceiling paint.
Cracks spider outward from a gaping hole in the ceiling of 180 Park Hill Avenue’s lobby. (Staten Island Advance | Priya Shahi)Priya Shahi