City Moves to Take 1 Acre Along Richmond Valley Road for Rebuild

The city has filed a condemnation case to take title to about 1.04 acres along Richmond Valley Road in Staten Island, between Page Avenue and Arthur Kill Road, so it can rebuild the road. A city notice published Oct. 20 says the case goes before a judge Nov. 17.

What the city wants

The parcel covers 45,092 square feet. It includes the mapped beds of Richmond Valley Road and Arthur Kill Road, plus portions of tax lots 1, 4 and 20 in tax block 7584 and tax lot 17 in block 7580.

The city wants the court to let it file an acquisition map and vest title in the city “in fee simple absolute,” meaning full ownership. The property would be taken subject to any existing encroachments and possibly a no-disturbance easement.

The governing map, Damage and Acquisition Map No. 4268, is dated June 8, 2020, and was last revised May 13, 2024. The project has been on paper for a while.

What happens to owners

• The court, not a jury, would decide compensation for all claims.
• Within 30 days of the city taking title, it must publish a notice of acquisition and mail it to each owner or their lawyer.
• Owners then have one calendar year from the vesting date to file a written claim with the court clerk and serve it on the Corporation Counsel.

Anyone opposing the taking must file a verified answer that specifically denies the petition’s claims. It must be served on the Corporation Counsel at least seven days before the hearing.

What the notice does not say

It does not name the property owners or describe the buildings on the affected lots. It also gives no construction schedule or budget for the road work.

It does not explain why a Staten Island case is being heard in a Brooklyn courthouse.

Details as filed. Verify times and locations before attending.