City Council sends word that they will vote to approve the plans for the 2-million-square-foot Cornell NYC Tech campus on Roosevelt Island. This is the final step in the ULURP process, which puts the project on track for a 2014 groundbreaking. As part of the deal, the City will fund a one-year summer ferry service to the island to explore new public transit options, and Cornell agreed to reduce truck traffic on the island by undertaking "the most aggressive voluntary use of barging" to transport construction materials. The first wave of construction will demolish the Goldwater Hospital complex, and create a 150,000-square-foot, net-zero academic building by Thom Mayne, a pedestrian pathway linking the campus to Four Freedoms Park, a student residence, and an executive building with hotel, a corporate co-location.
Cornell is trying to be a good neighbor in its new community, and it made a few community promises. They will be monitoring the air quality through the whole process and regularly posting updates on the construction website. It will work with city middle schools to create science, technology, education, and mathematics (STEM) programs, with a special focus for girls. Initial programs will being at PS/IS 217 on Roosevelt Island, as well as a two schools in Long Island City and one in East Harlem. The university will also "adopt" PS/IS 217 to offer a lot more programming like teacher training, after school activities, tech events, career days, and hardware and software development. Starting this summer, Cornell is hosting immersion programs for girls to learn about robots, coding, and web design.
And so begins the 20 year tech invasion transformation of the sleepy residential enclave in the middle of the East River.
· All Cornell coverage [Curbed]
Loading comments...