Roosevelt Island Elected Officials and Community Leaders Urge Engineering Schools To Apply Here - We Will Welcome You, We Will Work With You and We Want You, World Class Engineering School
Image from Today's Press Conference
Earlier today, Roosevelt Island's city (NYC Council Member Jessica Lappin), state (Assembly Member Micah Kellner and Senator Jose Serrano) and federal elected officials (representative from Congresswoman Carolyn Maloney's office) joined with Roosevelt Island Operating Corp (RIOC) President Leslie Torres and community leaders at the Manhattan Tram Station Plaza to urge that Roosevelt Island be selected as the site for New York City's state-of-the-art- Applied Sciences and Engineering School proposed by Mayor Bloomberg and the subject of this Applied Sciences NYC Request For Proposals.
During the press conference held at a noisy Manhattan Tramway Plaza next to the Queensboro Bridge, Ms Lappin presented some of the benefits for a University selecting Roosevelt Island as the site for it's facility - easy public transportation access with the F Train and Tramway, wonderful parks, revitalized Main Street Retail, including a Starbucks for coffee drinking students, an excellent public school with a gifted/talented program and noted that Governors Island and the Brooklyn Navy Yard just can't compete with Roosevelt Island.
Ms Lappin acknowledged that development in New York City can sometimes be contentious but in the case of a world class engineering school located on Roosevelt Island she promised:
We will welcome you, we will work with you and we want you. We did not want a hotel when that was proposed, we didn't want a big box store or luxury condos, but a world class engineering school- We Want YouHere's the video from the entire press conference
You Tube Video Of Roosevelt Island as Silicon Island Part 1
You Tube Video Of Roosevelt Island as Silicon Island Part 2
Sorry about the background noise from the traffic.
More information on the possibility of a world class engineering school being located on Roosevelt Island available from previous posts, including proposals by Stanford University and Cornell University.
Below is press release from Ms. Lappin's office:
Council Member Jessica Lappin, Congresswoman Carolyn B. Maloney, Assembly Member Micah Kellner, and State Senator Jose M. Serrano are officially supporting the city’s efforts to bring a world class engineering school to New York City - and want it to be located on Roosevelt Island. They have formed a coalition in support of an engineering and applied sciences campus where Goldwater Hospital currently sits and were joined at a press conference today by Roosevelt Island Operating Corp President Leslie Torres, Roosevelt Island Resident Association President Matthew Katz, and other community leaders.
Last week, when Mayor Bloomberg issued a Request for Proposals and invited universities to submit bids, he offered the option of a privately owned site or one of three city-owned parcels: Goldwater Hospital on the southern tip of Roosevelt Island, part of Governor’s Island, or a portion of the Brooklyn Navy Yard. He has also pledged up to $100 million in infrastructure upgrades for the project.
“Roosevelt Island wants to become Silicon Island,” Councilwoman Lappin said. “It’s a perfect fit for a top-tier engineering school. It’s accessible, has great amenities, and already has partnerships with world-class scientific institutions. And while development in New York City can be fraught with contention, we want interested universities to know that we welcome you.”
"Roosevelt Island is an ideal setting for a top-flight institution of higher education,” said Congresswoman Carolyn B. Maloney. “With its geographical proximity to the many world-class scientific research institutions on Manhattan’s East Side, the current site of Goldwater Hospital would provide an excellent home for a campus dedicated to engineering and the applied sciences. I am proud to join with Councilwoman Lappin and other local civic and government leaders in pledging our whole-hearted support to welcome such a facility to Roosevelt Island.”
“This applied sciences campus is a fantastic way of letting the high-tech world know that New York City is open for business,” said Assembly Member Kellner. “Roosevelt Island is such a wonderful and diverse community with so much to offer – I could not think of a better place for a New York school to locate its technology hub. Even more exciting is that thousands of new jobs will be just a tram ride away.”
“The Roosevelt Island community has been extremely receptive to the idea of bringing a competitive engineering school to the island,” said Senator José M. Serrano. “Its access to mass transit, proximity to midtown Manhattan, and welcoming residents will ensure a smooth adjustment for any school coming into the area. Roosevelt Island is truly looking forward to helping to strengthen the fields of science and health in New York City."
“Roosevelt Island residents have been concerned about the use of the Goldwater Hospital site since we learned that it would close by 2014,” said Matthew Katz, President of the Roosevelt Island Residents Association (RIRA). “A research facility has the potential to be a good fit for that ten-acre site and to enhance the quality of life within this planned community. To that end, the Roosevelt Island Residents Association has created a committee to liaise with the prospective academic institutions and with the City Economic Development Corporation and we look forward to a productive process.”"We are excited at the prospect of a world class research university on Roosevelt Island," said Leslie Torres, President of the Roosevelt Island Operating Corporation. "The Island's location and reputation for innovation make it an ideal spot for any institution."
“Hudson & Related have been developing and investing in Roosevelt Island since 1997, including six new residential buildings and subleasing the retail corridor on Main Street,” said David Kramer of The Hudson Companies, Inc. “We couldn’t think of a better neighbor to the south than an applied sciences campus. Such a campus would have a tremendous economic impact on the City as a whole and Roosevelt Island in particular.”
“Roosevelt Island is the perfect environment for a world-class institution of higher education,” said Peter Gray of Manhattan Park Associates. “A facility of that caliber would bring increased economic vitality and prestige to the island and would be a wonderful addition to the rich diversity of people who live and work here.”
A representative of Community Board 8, members of the RIOC Board and Roosevelt Island Disabilities Association President Jim Bates also lent their support for bringing an engineering school to Roosevelt Island.
Before issuing this RFP, the city received 18 less formal “expressions of interest” from 27 schools around the globe. The NYC Economic Development Corporation estimates the project will generate $6 billion in economic activity, hundreds of new companies, and more than 22,000 permanent jobs for New Yorkers over the next 35 years. Proposals are due by October 28th and the city is expected to select a bidder before the end of the year.
12 comments :
Would loved to have heard from Mr. Kalkin, why did they keep him in the back? He has done so much for the island...maybe he should be our Mayor!
Also, I hope Ms. Tores and her " Green Initiative" will include helping the local wildlife that is indiginis to the island and will continue to be concerned about their well being and life here.
An Animal Sanctuary would be a wonderful way to keep the island Green.
Speaking of the tram stations: Whatever happened to the planned renovations upgrades to the Manhattan and Roosevelt Island tram stations? As I recall, this was supposed to be done shortly after the tram was back in operation, and the work on the tram stations was not going to interfere with tram operations. Here is the excerpt from the RIOC President's Report dated 2/25/2011:
Transportation: This year we plan to make Tram station upgrades
including pedestrian enclosures on loading platforms, ADA bathrooms at
the R.I. Station, an additional ADA elevator at the Manhattan Station,
and new lighting, flooring and painting at both Stations.
word!
I think the person in charge of this website should at least delete the smarky and snippy remark at the top of the page while 2 world class schools are going to bid for this property and the Mayor has said 100 million dollars will be given to the project. It just looks to be in bad taste if you want people to read this...everyone got your point by now. I am talking about the remark
"Governor Cuomo and NY State Senate Spit In The Eye Of Roosevelt island Residents By Appointing Unelected, Conflict Ridden, Non Resident to RIOC Board of Directors -Horrible Way To Start Your Ethics and Good Government Agenda Mr. Cuomo
it just might be a good idea would you agree?
I have mixed emotions about this- Goldwater Hospital has been on this Island long long before any other resident set foot here and I remember Jessica Lappin and Matthew Katz imploring that they would fight to keep Goldwater from ever closing.. those long-term residents- in that Hospital have only known that Hospital as their home.. Also- all those staff Members will lose their jobs. I know it is "Emperor" Bloomberg's decision.
This Island is too overcrowded as of right now- today-7/27/11- we are NOT Governor's Island or Staten Island- we are a small strip of land with already - present problems with infra-structure and transportation..
I don't believe this small island needs a Science- Engineering Center- how about replacing- if Goldwater must go- it with more affordable housing that this Island has lost over the last five years or so and a Ambulatory Care Center- Medical Facility- that should have been in place years ago- we could really use at the very last- an Urgent Care Center- mini-ER..
I am not against Science, engingeering or research- I used to work for Sloan-Kettering-just think about the Impact on the existing conditions now on RI and the infrastructure, transportation problems, current Residents- something that never seems to be considered before building more buildings here. Just think and really evaluate and maybe Ask the Current Residents here First before creating more potential problems on this small Island.
Thank you.
I have to disagree with you. I know a couple of people who actually work at Colers and Goldwater and they told me that the closure of Goldwater is a good thing. The building is so old and rundown that neither workers nor patients really want to be there. There will be enough room at Colers and other hospices around the city to absorb the Goldwater patients. The workers, nurses, and doctors will be taken care of as well.
I am looking forward to having a university campus on Roosevelt Island. It's hopefully going to inject some fresh air into this stuffy island.
I am looking forward to either Cornell or Stanford. It's possible that some day this will be the dynamic neighborhood I envisioned when I moved here 35 years ago.
It's kind of embarrassing to see Mr. Kalkin hovering about as if he's still on the RIOC Board - even though he no longer is and has to wait until 2012 to run for Board membership. Makes him look like an annoying pest if you ask me.
I agree with the other poster that it would have been nice to hear from Mr. Kalkin. All the other politicians and Katz said reasons like the retail master lease, green/tech projects, electric cars and tech ideas as reasons to pick Roosevelt Island for a University. These were all started by Mr. Kalkin. He stood there in support of university in the back in a very humble way as others community members did in the photo and didn't ask to speak. That is a true public servant.
I agree with the other poster that it would have been nice to hear from Mr. Kalkin. All the other politicians and Katz said reasons like the retail master lease, green/tech projects, electric cars and tech ideas as reasons to pick Roosevelt Island for a University. These were all started by Mr. Kalkin. He stood there in support of the university in the back in a very humble way as others community members did in the photo and didn't ask to speak. That is a true public servant.
Agree with Liz, it's very disappointing to see our local politicians backing this proposal when in the past few yrs we've lost 1000 units of affordable housing. Wouldn't this be the perfect opportunity to replace some of it?? Love the comment from Lappin - "we don't want luxury condos", maybe that's bc we already have a half dozen! I suppose they figure these new scientific institutions will provide tenants for those condos.
Let's here our elected officials support a New York university. Let's here them support Cornell over Stanford. Stanford first chose CUNY and then it chose CCNY to partner with. Their indecision shows that its just window dressing to overcome their lack of connection to New York. Cornell is a New York institution. It employs more than 8,000 people in NY State. It's expansion in NYC will bring even more jobs to New York and ensure that thousands of jobs are retained in New York State to support all of Cornell's facilities. Stanford would keep many of those jobs in California. New York State needs those jobs and revenue.
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