Empire Outlets is an open-air outlet center at 55 Richmond Terrace on the St. George waterfront in Staten Island, opened in 2019 as the first outlet center in New York City. The property is adjacent to the St. George Staten Island Ferry Terminal, positioning it as the only major retail destination in the New York metropolitan area directly accessible by ferry from Lower Manhattan without a car. The free Staten Island Ferry, serving approximately 70,000 daily riders, creates a built-in pedestrian flow from Manhattan that is structurally different from the car-dependent suburban outlet model.
The tenant mix covers outlet and factory-format brands: Banana Republic Factory, Gap, Old Navy, Levi’s, Guess, and US Polo Assn. in fashion. Nike covers the athletic footwear and apparel category. Shake Shack, Haagen-Dazs, Starbucks, and Nathan’s Famous serve the food and beverage component. The MRKTPL Culinary Market provides a food-hall dining format. The development also includes arts and cultural programming through the adjacent waterfront precinct.
The St. George waterfront catchment combines two structurally different consumer populations: the Staten Island residential base accessible via I-278 and the Staten Island road network, and the Manhattan-origin visitor population who use the free ferry for a day-trip outlet shopping occasion. The I-278 interchange near St. George provides car access from across Staten Island and from New Jersey via the Goethals Bridge and Bayonne Bridge corridors.
Empire Outlets holds a structurally unique position within the New York metropolitan outlet market, operating as both an outlet destination and a waterfront visitor attraction distinct from the enclosed suburban outlet model of Woodbury Common Premium Outlets to the north. For brands evaluating the New York outlet market, Empire Outlets provides a format and catchment profile that no other outlet property in the metro can replicate, combining Manhattan-adjacent transit access with the Staten Island residential base.
