Stapleton Court, also known as The Rail, is an affordable rental development with 92 apartments and ground floor retail space. It occupies a strategic corner site within the old downtown of the existing Stapleton neighborhood on the north shore of Staten Island, which is in the early phases of rejuvenation. The property was formerly an under-utilized municipal parking lot and is adjacent to the Staten Island Railroad, two stops from the terminal for the ferry to Manhattan.
The project was planned in two phases of which only the first has been completed. Public parking is included to serve the new retail uses along Bay Street, an important commercial artery, and enclosed residential private parking at the ground floor level is provided as well. A large courtyard at the second floor level is open to the elevator lobby and community room, creating a green oasis for residents.
Careful design attention has been given to the articulation of the façade in order to break down the scale of the new buildings and to complement the existing three and four story commercial and residential structures along Bay Street. Awnings and projecting signage animates the retail storefronts. The residential windows are large and include decorative balconies to give architectural character to the new apartments.