New York City has a hidden jewel in Roosevelt Island and the operating corporation’s CEO, Shelton Haynes. Tapped to take the island’s operation into the next century, the tireless CEO seems to be constantly on the go, meeting with developers, tourism groups, and similar organizations. However, that doesn’t mean that the island, once home to various medical and psychological hospitals as well as a prison and workhouse, is having its history paved over. Careful development using the blueprint designed by architects John Burgee and Phillip Johnson as a master plan has preserved the island’s parklands and natural spaces while promoting the development and construction of a wide range of industries.
History of Roosevelt Island Operations Corporation
From the crumbling Renwich Ruin, a dilapidated smallpox quarantine hospital built in 1854, to brand-new apartments expected to be completed in 2025, Shelton Haynes has kept Roosevelt Island’s long history in mind while overseeing development. Located in the East River, the island is just across from Manhattan’s midtown area and is only accessible by vehicle using a bridge from Queens. However, the 1970s addition of a cable car and the 1980s addition of a subway stop has made the island and its small-town America vibe a much more popular choice for visitors from the Big Apple and abroad.
Shelton Haynes is taking charge
Shelton Haynes had inherited a wide range of projects from prior CEOs of the Roosevelt Island Operating Corporation, including an FDR memorial on the island’s southern tip that had been left uncompleted for 48 years. Though many individuals would balk at such a task, Haynes relishes the challenge and is turning Roosevelt Island from a secret backwater convenient to the city to a hot spot for tourism and city visitors. A solid public relations campaign led to investments in retail, hospitality, and business, including Cornell Tech, The Hudson Companies, and Related Companies.
Developments are in the future
Says Shelton Haynes of the latest project, the last of the Riverwalk development complex structures, “I cannot wait to get shovels in the ground to unveil our latest investment that will continue the tremendous economic boom we are experiencing. Once completed, Riverwalk 9 will spur further job growth, create new housing, and contribute nicely to the beauty of Roosevelt Island.” Even with this type of development, the two-mile-long island still retains its small-town feel – all within view of the United Nations, One World Trade Center, and other well-known landmarks, all easily visibly from the 360-degree view from the restaurant Anything at All restaurant at the top of Cornell’s Graduate Roosevelt Island hotel.
Though there are many plans for additional development in the future, Shelton Haynes’ focus has been on the past, including how we can learn from it and improve ourselves. The project that he feels best conveys his legacy is improvements made to the youth center on the island, allowing the youth in the area to have a safe place to go to after school and other times.