Fort Staunton

Fort Staunton in GTA III, as viewed to the south. The Staunton Plaza construction site bearing a Panlantic logo is the district's centerpiece.

Fort Staunton location

Fort Staunton is an area in Liberty City that appears in Grand Theft Auto III, Grand Theft Auto Advance and Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories, on Staunton Island. Surrounding the area are the districts of Rockford, Newport and Liberty Campus.

Character and places of interest

In GTA III, set in 2001, the area is in the process of demolition of old buildings and large-scale redevelopment with the construction of Staunton Plaza (due to be completed "next fall"); much of district has also been dug out. Panlantic Construction Company, in charge of the area's development, is suspected by the LCPD to be one of the many fronts for the Colombian Cartel, which may explain the presence of Cartel members and gang cars in the area.

Fort Staunton before its destruction in GTA Liberty City Stories, as viewed to the northwest from above Rockford's Carson General Hospital.

Fort Staunton is revealed in GTA Liberty City Stories, set three years earlier in 1998, to be a once vibrant Italian-American district populated by historical commercial and residential low-rises, not unlike Manhattan's Little Italy. Notable landmarks in Fort Staunton include an opera house, a fountain square, a pedestrian street, and a museum.

Fort Staunton was destroyed by Toni Cipriani in GTA Liberty City Stories, after he placed several explosives in an abandoned subway line connected to an unfinished section of the Porter Tunnel. Many buildings, including the opera house, were destroyed. Donald Love, who secretly gave Cipriani the orders, invested in the area's real estate until the Columbian Cartel (through Panlantic construction and the recently-deceased Avery Carrington, who formulated the plan) demanded shares by nearly killing Donald Love. It can be assumed, following events in GTA Liberty City Stories, that the Colombian Cartel-controlled Panlantic Construction Company eventually moved in on Fort Staunton's redevelopment, clearing away nearly all remnants of district in preparation for the groundbreaking of Staunton Plaza.

Gang control

As Panlantic is affiliated with the Colombian Cartel, Fort Staunton is depicted in GTA III to be under the control of the gang during early progression of the game's storyline. However, with Donald Love orchestrating the murder of Yakuza co-leader Kenji Kasen to falsely implicated the Cartel and instigate a gang war between the two factions, the Yakuza launched an offensive into Fort Staunton, leading to Yakuza members appearing on the streets, frequently engaging in firefights with the Cartel.

Given the nature of Fort Staunton in GTA Liberty City Stories, the area was under control by the Forellis, who apparently maintained a large ammunition storage area underneath the district. The aforementioned destruction of Fort Staunton was actually planned by Donald Love with the backing of Leone don, Salvatore Leone, to kill two birds with one stone: The bombing will not only condemn the entire district and spearhead redevelopment, but also cripple Forelli activity in the city. After the explosion, local media blamed the Forellis' munitions storage as being the source of the explosion.

Locations

GTA Liberty City Stories (1998)

Ba Bo-Bella Bottiglia Clamlapras Clench Deli & Market Fort Staunton Museum

Fort Staunton Opera House Hotel Forte Liquor Charlies Bar 'n' Grill Page 3 Bookstore Ristorante ecoli Signora Grande Staunton Café

Gallery

GTA III

Early isometric render of Fort Staunton's Staunton Plaza from the official GTA III website. A billboard in Fort Staunton depicting an artist rendering of the completed Staunton Plaza. Shells of demolished buildings, as viewed to the northeast from the western side.

GTA Liberty City Stories

The heart of Fort Staunton, with Hotel Forte in view to the left. Fort Staunton's pedestrian street (decorated with Italian colored flags) (left), and the entrance to Fort Staunton's disused subway station (right). Closeup of the access point into the district's disused subway station. Note the missing "Subway" signs typically seen on other subway entrances in the city. Fort Staunton's plaza, complete with an ornate fountain. The Fort Staunton opera house. Fort Staunton Museum. Staunton Café, a diner which occupies a block in the district. A view of Fort Staunton after its destruction.

Trivia

• Following the devastation of Fort Staunton in GTA Liberty City Stories, the district is cordoned off; no traffic or pedestrian will venture into the district. Instead, fire fighters (and a parked Fire Truck) and military personnel are present to survey the destruction.
  • Idle soldiers armed with MP5Ks can be seen in the district, supposed patrolling the ruins. However, their script are not very complicated and can be recruited like any male pedestrian by using the "pedestrians follow you"cheat. This makes them valuable help if they are loaded into the player's vehicles and fight in missions, also provides firepower when fighting police.
• When the player achieves Completion in GTA Liberty City Stories, a Rhino will spawn at the large crater left by the explosion near Staunton Café.

Colombian Cartel