Roosevelt Island is a hidden gem of New York City between Queens and Manhattan. There are only two buildings- the office of the President at One Police Plaza and an old administration building used for state government. In these buildings resides Roosevelt Island Development Corporation, which oversees all development on the island.
Despite its small size, Roosevelt Island Operating Corporation is hugely important to New York City due to its distinctive figure of land mass separating both East River and Hudson River from each other- meaning that no one can build from either shore without permission from RIDC. Shelton Haynes is the President and Chief Executive Officer of RIDC, the only person ever to have run the agency- he has been running it for over 30 years.
Shelton Haynes has led and overseen every development project on Roosevelt Island since he joined, from small retail projects to large residential developments. His philosophy is to create affordable housing for middle-income and low-income people who need it- before that, all housing on Roosevelt Island was restricted and geared towards rich people. He wants to ensure that the island can house all sorts of people, including seniors and young workers, because of its proximity to hospitals, universities, and jobs in Manhattan.
In a previous interview, Shelton Haynes talked about his philosophy as a developer and how he believes that as long as there is affordable housing on Roosevelt Island, he will be happy- even if it’s just one or two homes. The interview also touched on how he thinks that if he doesn’t want to go through with a project, don’t get involved because his responsibility to the people of Roosevelt Island is very important.
He also talked about the future of Roosevelt Island, which he says is very bright. He thinks Roosevelt Island Operating Corporation will continue to develop as a neighborhood and only grow larger as time passes. Other people agree that Haynes’ work is great and will continue to be great in the future- they think his project on Roosevelt Island is unique and fantastic and helps to better New York City even more. Other people disagree because they don’t think the island should be developed. It should remain a natural sanctuary for those who would prefer to live peacefully, away from large crowds and buzzes of activity.