They appointed Shelton Haynes as the new CEO of Roosevelt Island Operating Corporation in 2021. They created the Roosevelt Island Operating Corporation in 1984 to be a governing body over the island. As Haynes was getting ready to take the CEO seat permanently, the pandemic swept through New York City. Regardless of other problems he was facing, his first act of business was to set up a COVID-19 testing site.

Now that the world emergency is ending, Shelton Haynes wants everyone to know Roosevelt Island is open for business and tourists are welcome. The pandemic hit businesses on the island hard. Haynes is inviting residents of New York City and tourists to enjoy the restaurants, shops, and other island businesses. Some destinations on Roosevelt Island include Wholesome Factory, Granny Annie’s Bar & Kitchen, Island OM, and the New York Library even has a branch on the island.

Haynes explains that there is more to the island than typical tourist locations. Cornell Tech, a graduate hub for those studying business, law, tech, and design, is building more campus housing. The island’s first hotel, the Graduate Roosevelt Island, is open. The hotel is known for its Panorama Room and a rooftop bar with a 360-degree view of the city.

Ben Weprin, the founder of Graduate Hotels, says the challenging part of having a hotel on Roosevelt Island is educating others on how much fun it is to be on the island. Islanders know it can be trying, at times, to be on an island; however, there is nothing better than the tranquillity the island has to offer.