NYC's First Outlet Center Breaks Ground

NEW YORK CITY—What will eventually be the city’s first outlet center as well as neighbor to the Western hemisphere’s tallest Ferris wheel broke ground Thursday, as representatives from developer BFC Partners and the public and private sectors hoisted ceremonial shovels for Empire Outlets, part of the “Core Four” projects poised to transform Staten Island’s North Shore. Earlier this week, the 340,000-square-foot retail component of the one-million-square-foot project announced that about 100,000 square feet of space has been leased to tenants including Nordstrom Rack and H&M.

BFC principal Donald Capoccia calls Empire Outlets “awell-timed catalyst that will trigger the transformation of the North Shore and position Staten Island for sustained growth into the foreseeable future. This project will be a dynamic economic engine for New York City, creating more than 1,800 construction and permanent jobs that will benefit its residents, businesses, cultural and community organizations for generations to come.”