The Pearl is a 12-story mixed-use multifamily building in the Stapleton neighborhood of Staten Island. The 251,449 SF building provides 270 affordable residential units, including 138 designated for elderly New Yorkers in need of permanent housing. The ground floor includes a residential lobby, three retail spaces, community facilities and offices occupied by Selfhelp a non-profit organization which offers community services and manages senior housing needs.

The Bay Street Corridor, historically zoned for manufacturing since 1961, has been re-envisioned to support walkable and sustainable neighborhoods that integrate urban growth with the waterfront’s natural landscape. Located at 475 Bay Street, The Pearl is the first large-scale development to respond to the newly rezoned North Shore area along the Upper Bay.

Bay Street is a busy thoroughfare lined with two-story commercial buildings and fast-food restaurants. Responding to the visually noisy environment, The Pearl’s modern façade is designed with a diverse palette of materials. Velour-textured brick in varying gray tones combine with charcoal colored aluminum frames, panels, and louvres to create a subtle grid that distinguishes the structure. A pattern of light and darker colored grey brick defines the base of the building which houses the lower six floors. The building tower, which rises from the seventh through 12th floors, is clad in a richly hued charcoal gray brick. The tower is set back 26 feet from the building base. Retail frontage on the ground floor is articulated with glass curtain walls and dark grey soldier course brick. Framed with warm-toned wood paneling, the residential entrance on Bay Street welcomes elderly residents with an accessibility ramp. The building’s U-shaped design encloses a parking lot for tenants that can be accessed via Wave Street. The façade and building design break up the urban scale of the building while making it easily identifiable in the busy Stapleton neighborhood.

Generous amenities include three multipurpose rooms with an adjacent open terrace, computer stations, and pantry on the seventh floor. Twelfth floor amenities include a large fitness space, children’s play area, and rooftop recreational spaces. The building’s outdoor terraces provide tenants and seniors with social areas to relax and enjoy views of the Upper Bay. Widened pedestrian sidewalks along Bay Street create an inviting public space on the waterfront. The Pearl is a transit-oriented development providing tenants with easy access to the wider metropolitan area.

The Pearl is Enterprise Green Communities certified.