...is an advocate for the health and well being of the Island community and its organizations during the Cornell development. We work to urge the fulfillment of Cornell's verbal and written commitments to the community....
RICC Board member Judy Buck invites the Roosevelt Island public to its annual Board election meeting tomorrow evening. Ms. Buck reports:
RICC 2017 Board Election Meeting
The Roosevelt Island Community Coalition (RICC) will hold its annual Board election meeting on Monday, January 23, 2017, 6:45 PM - 8 PM, at 546 Main Street, 12th Floor Conference Room.
All Island residents are welcome, but attendance of RICC membership is especially important, as RICC requires a quorum in order to nominate and vote for a new Board of Directors.
With just six months to go before Cornell-Tech officially “opens,” there are issues to discuss. Current board members will report briefly on transportation issues, the new ferry, the Cornell Tech Hotel, Cornell adoption of PS217 -- and the as-yet-unfulfilled promise of New York State funding to Roosevelt Island. Members are invited to comment, raise new issues, make suggestions.
Light refreshments will be served.
More on the unfulfilled funding promise to Roosevelt Island by New York State at this prior post.
Meeting Date:
Monday, July 15, 2013 - 6:30pm
Meeting Location:
Manhattan Park
4 River Road, Community Room,
New York, NY
Submission by the New York City Economic Development Corporation to the Manhattan Borough Board pursuant to Section 384(b)(4) of the New York City Charter of a lease to Cornell University to develop NYC Tech Campus on Roosevelt Island.
Old Business
New Business
Jeffrey Escobar and Laurence Parnes, Co-Chairs
A CB 8 Roosevelt Island Committee member reports:
The meeting is open to the public who will have an opportunity to speak.
We will not be revisiting the project. One of the concerns will be how the commitments made by Cornell are incorporated into the lease and what provisions exist for accountability and enforcement of these commitments. The presentation is being made by the Economic Development Corporation but Cornell is expected to be present.
... Council Member Jessica Lappin negotiated to secure many commitments from the Administration and Cornell NYC Tech. The city has pledged to contribute funding to a one-year summer ferry service pilot program and has designated an NYPD liaison to ensure continued safety and security on Roosevelt Island. The university has committed to:
· Undertake the most aggressive voluntary use of barging in New York City, which will reduce the number of construction vehicles on Roosevelt Island by more than half, as compared to traditional building techniques.
· Partner with New York City middle schools to create Science, Technology, Education, and Mathematics (STEM) programs, with a special focus on girls. Initial pilot programs will begin at P.S./I.S. 217 on Roosevelt Island, M.S. 406 in East Harlem, and I.S. 204 and P.S. 111 in Long Island City, Queens. Starting this summer, Cornell NYC Tech will sponsor an immersion program for girls in these schools to learn coding, web design, robotics and mobile development under the mentorship of some of the industry’s top engineers and entrepreneurs.
· "Adopt" the local school on Roosevelt Island, PS/IS 217, by providing programming such as teacher training and support, after school programming, tech events, career day options, and hardware and software programming development.
· Conduct air monitoring throughout the project, including demolition, excavation and construction. The results of this monitoring will be posted on the construction website.
· Engage extensively with the Roosevelt Island community by creating a construction task force with residents and others; researching ways that technology can enhance the lives of the disabled and the older adults on the Island; providing computers and training to senior center members and the disabled community; providing a tech fair to advance technology education for the disabled; working with the community to program outdoor space for children....
Click here for theLetter Agreement detailing the commitments made by Cornell NYC Tech to City Council Member Jessica Lappin, the entire City Council and the Roosevelt Island Community which are included as part of the lease agreement between the NYC and Cornell for the Goldwater Hospital site. In addition to the commitments included in the lease agreement, NYC Deputy Mayor’s Robert Steel sent this letter dated May 2 2012 to Ms. Lappin regarding NYC contributing operating funds for a pilot Roosevelt Island ferry service and NYPD monitoring security concerns for the new campus.
UPDATE 7/16 - CB 8 Roosevelt Island Committee recommended disapproval of EDC lease with Cornell NYC Tech at last night's meeting. Full CB 8 Board will vote on the issue Wednesday July 17. The EDC, Cornell and elected officials reps did not look very happy following the meeting.
According to the Roosevelt Island Operating Corp (RIOC)
The Roosevelt Island Community is encouraged to attend a public hearing hosted by the New York City Health and Hospitals Corporation concerning the transfer of land and building to the City of New York, located on the campus of the Goldwater Speciality Hospital & Nursing Facility.
When: Thursday, July 11th at 6 PM
Where: Goldwater Speciality Hospital & Nursing Facility (1 Main Street- Main Floor Auditorium)
Speakers must register in advance by calling 212-788-3360. On site registration on 7/11 begins at 5:30 PM and closes at 6:30 PM.
** Advance Registration Deadline: Wednesday, July 10th**
For more information, please visit
http://www.nyc.gov/html/hhc/downloads/pdf/hhc-public-hearing-2013-07-11.pdf
will be closed later this year to make way for Cornell NYC Tech campus and:
... more than 300 patients will be relocated to new facility at North General Hospital in East Harlem at the end of October 2013 and other patients will be transferred to Coler campus on Roosevelt Island at the same time. There will also be 175 mobility impaired affordable apartments for Coler Hospital patients in a new facility being built on 99th street across from Metropolitan Hospital scheduled to open in the spring/summer of 2015....
UPDATE 10 PM - Here's what happened at tonight's NYC HHC Public Hearing on the transfer of Goldwater Hospital land for the new Cornell NYC Tech campus. Goldwater Hospital residents and supporters testified about their fears and concerns at the closing of the hospital. Needless to say that Mayor Bloomberg was not very popular among the Goldwater patients and workers.
Received the following Press Release from Cornell NYC Tech this morning:
Cornell NYC Tech today announced a major advancement in its effort to bring industry and academia together on its Roosevelt Island campus with plans to develop its first “corporate co-location” building. This building will house a mix of companies at the heart of the campus, facilitating the interaction between academia and industry that is central to Cornell Tech’s mission. On Thursday, Cornell University’s Board of Trustees approved the plan to move forward with Forest City Ratner Companies as the developer of this building, subject to finalizing plans and terms. Forest City Ratner would also act as master developer, overseeing development of the first academic building, the open space and related infrastructure for the first phase of the campus.
“This level of private sector investment in the campus, and, upon completion of our finalizing the details, the participation of a great partner in Forest City Ratner, validates the campus’ enormous economic development potential for New York and ensures that we will have a vibrant mix of activities when the campus opens in 2017,” said Cathy Dove, Vice President of Cornell Tech. “We expect that leading-edge companies large and small will be drawn to the innovation and energy of Cornell Tech, helping to accelerate the already rapid growth of New York’s tech sector.”
“Cornell Tech is radically re-thinking how industry can collaborate with faculty, students and researchers, and corporate co-location is vital to making that a success,” said Cornell Tech Dean Dan Huttenlocher. “It was so exciting to launch our academic program this year and it’s equally exciting to see the physical campus coming together in a way that will advance our mission moving forward.”
"Forest City Ratner is thrilled to partner with Cornell Tech on the creation of a world class innovative campus that will drive the growth of New York's tech sector and economic development in the city for years to come," said Forest City Ratner Companies President and CEO MaryAnne Gilmartin. "From Metro Tech to Times Square to Barclays Center and Atlantic Yards, Forest City Ratner has always bet on the growth of our great city and we couldn't be more excited to play a part in this next exciting chapter. With the corporate co-location building Cornell Tech is charting new territory, and we look forward to exceeding expectations with an iconic architectural design by WEISS/MANFREDI.”
The award-winning architecture, landscape and urbanism firm, WEISS / MANFREDI will be the architect of the co-location building, which together with Cornell Tech's flagship academic building, designed by Pritzker Prize-winning architect Thom Mayne of Morphosis, will launch the Cornell Tech campus.
“We're excited to partner with Forest City Ratner Companies and Cornell to create a new architectural paradigm that fosters innovation and collaboration,” said Marion Weiss and Michael Manfredi.
Cornell Tech offers a distinctive model of graduate tech education that fuses scientific excellence with real-world applications and entrepreneurship, rooted in the latest academic research. Students, faculty and industry experts learn and work together to develop ideas and create new ventures that have globalimpact.
The corporate co-location building will include up to 200,000 square feet of flexible office space, with a diverse mix of tenants including both start-ups and established companies. There will be a balance of incubator space, research and development labs, corporate innovation centers for bigger companies and rotating space for regional companies to spend time in New York City. The building will include flexible, open floor plans with common spaces to facilitate meetings and serendipitous, informal interactions between students and companies. Cornell Tech will also lease 50,000 square feet in the building, further cementing the connection between academics and industry on campus.
This is another major milestone for the campus. Cornell Tech’s “beta” class of computer science masters students completed its first semester in May in space donated by Google in Chelsea. Cornell Tech is rapidly rolling out new academic programs, recruiting star faculty, developing a distinctive new model of tech entrepreneurship, and designing its permanent campus on Roosevelt Island, which will break ground early next year. In April, Dr. Irwin Mark Jacobs, Founding Chairman and CEO Emeritus of Qualcomm, and his wife Joan Klein Jacobs, donated a $133-million gift to Cornell University and the Technion-Israel Institute of Technology to create the Joan and Irwin Jacobs Technion-Cornell Innovation Institute (JTCII). The JTCII is a key component of Cornell Tech. The funds will help support curriculum initiatives, faculty and graduate students, and industry interactions in a two-year graduate program.
The City's Applied Sciences NYC initiative was designed to capitalize on the considerable growth presently occurring within the science, technology and research fields in New York, and builds on the Bloomberg Administration’s dedication to creating a more diversified and competitive economy for the future. In December 2011, the Cornell and Technion partnership was selected by the City as the first winner of the Applied Sciences competition. When completed, the Roosevelt Island campus will house approximately 2,000 full-time graduate students.
In response to my inquiry about the agreement between Cornell NYC Tech and Forest City Ratner (FCRC), a Cornell NYC Tech Press Spokesperson added:
Financial terms are being finalized ...
FCRC would own the corporate co-location building and be responsible for leasing the space, with Cornell committing to be an anchor tenant essentially.
On the rest of the first phase FCRC would have a fee developer relationship, overseeing development of the first academic building, open space and infrastructure.
... Many issues still need to be resolved before Cornell NYC Tech can take possession, begin demolition of the existing Goldwater Hospital and start construction of the new applied sciences and engineering school. Among the issues still to be negotiated with the Roosevelt Island Operating Corp (RIOC) are an agreement with RIOC for land controlled by RIOC that is part of the proposed Cornell campus, the use of barging and temporary concrete plant during the construction process, air and noise pollution monitoring and much more....
Below is an aerial view of the existing Goldwater Hospital campus that is scheduled to be demolished in early 2014 to make way for the Cornell NYC Tech campus. NYC controls the land that is beneath the hospital buildings and extending a perimeter of 5 feet from the buildings. RIOC controls all the other land on the Goldwater campus site between the roads on the outside of the campus (East and West Channel Roads).
NYC is giving away for free the land they control to Cornell NYC. RIOC, whose Board of Directors have fiduciary obligations to maintain the financial stability of Roosevelt Island, hopes to receive fair compensation for the land they control which Cornell NYC Tech desires to be part of their campus.
Roosevelt Island's NYC Council Member Jessica Lappin and Cornell NYC Tech VP Cathy Dove addressed this issue during May 8 press conference announcing Cornell's ULURP Application approval. Here's what they had to say.
RIOC has a new President, Charlene Indelicato, who has the backing of NY State Governor Cuomo. She is reportedly a tough, resourceful, experienced and competent real estate negotiator. We will soon know if Ms. Indelicato and the RIOC Board are able to protect the interests of Roosevelt Island as they negotiate with Cornell NYC Tech.
Reported yesterday on plans for Cornell NYC Tech collaboration and "adoption" of Roosevelt Island's PS/IS 217 with video presentations by PS/IS 217 Principal Mandana Beckman and Cornell NYC Tech Vice President Cathy Dove to the Community Board 8 Youth & Education Committee.
Many issues still need to be resolved before Cornell NYC Tech can take possession, begin demolition of the existing Goldwater Hospital and start construction of the new applied sciences and engineering school. Among the issues still to be negotiated with the Roosevelt Island Operating Corp (RIOC) are an agreement with RIOC for land controlled by RIOC that is part of the proposed Cornell campus, the use of barging and temporary concrete plant during the construction process, air and noise pollution monitoring and much more.
The Roosevelt Island Community Coalition (RICC) addressed some of these concerns in the following statement reacting to last month's NYC Council approval of Cornell NYC Tech's ULURP application. According to RICC:
RICC has worked closely with Cornell for over eight months to negotiate community amenities (such as computers, educational programs, meeting space) which we, and our member organizations, felt would be appropriate and appreciated in consideration of the many years of construction which the community will endure in order to make the Cornell complex a reality. Cornell has responded favorably to many of them and RICC is gratified that this would not have happened without the relationship which we have formed with them.
We have been assisted in our endeavors by, and are grateful for, recommendations and negotiations through CB8, the City Planning Commission, the Borough President's Office, and the City Council - especially Council Member Jessica Lappin. We wish they could have done more to help us but realize this project is something the entire City is behind because of the benefits it will bring.
There are many issues not yet resolved, however, or not addressed to our satisfaction, and these are the most critical because they involve health and safety. We want trucking to be the exception because of the pollutants, noise, traffic, possible damage to our helix they could cause - Cornell has only agreed to reduce trucking by about 40% through barging. We want an on-site cement plant to reduce numbers of cement trucks - Cornell is no longer considering it due to claimed deterents which RICC thinks could be mitigated. We want them to contribute funds to add officers to the Public Safety Department because of the increased population Cornell will bring and the presence of Technion, an Israeli institution - they will contribute only to security for their campus.
Because of these issues and others which are still of concern, RICC will continue to meet with Cornell, RIOC, elected officials, and whoever or whatever body can assist us in meeting our goals. We will let the community know when and how you can assist us and trust that you will rise to the occassion, since the issues we continue to be concerned about will affect the health and well-being of our Island community far into the future.
These issues were discussed in great detail during May 21 RICC Board meeting. Here's what happened.
The RIOC Board Directors and new RIOC President Charlene Indelicato would be wise to consider the advice and suggestions of the RICC Board on many of these issues when negotiating with Cornell NYC Tech.
The Manhattan Community Board 8 (CB 8) Youth & Education (Y&E) Committee will be meeting tonight to discuss an issue of great importance to Roosevelt Island - what will Cornell NYC Tech do to help Roosevelt Island students attending PS/IS 217.
Later during the CB 8 meeting, Cornell NYC Tech Vice President Cathy Dove reported on the upcoming Girls Who Code summer program which will include Roosevelt Island PS/IS 217 students and discussed Cornell NYC Tech's intention to "adopt" Roosevelt Island's PS/IS 217. Responding to my question as to what Cornell adopting PS/IS 217 means, Ms. Dove said:
the Roosevelt Island school ... is where our focus is going to be ... in perpetuity...
... The Cornell NYC Tech ULURP application will now proceed to the full NYC Council and Mayor Bloomberg for expected approval. However, even after final approval from NYC, Cornell NYC Tech still needs to negotiate and come to an agreement with the Roosevelt Island Operating Corp (RIOC) for the approximately 3 acres of land controlled by RIOC within the planned Cornell NYC Tech campus on the site of the current Goldwater Hospital....
This morning, Ms Lappin, NYC Council Speaker and Mayoral Candidate Christine Quinn, Cornell NYC Tech Vice President Cathy Dove, Cornell Dean Dan Huttenlocher, Roosevelt Island Community Coalition (RICC) Co-Chairs Ellen Polivy and Jonathan Kalkin as well as Roosevelt Island resident and Community Board 8 Member Larry Parnes appeared at a Press Conference to announce the vote to approve Cornell NYC Tech coming to Roosevelt Island and to congratulate each other on working together to bring the project to this stage of the process.
Here's what happened beginning with Ms. Lappin
followed by questions about barging construction materials, ferry service, ongoing negotiations with the Roosevelt Island Operating Corp (RIOC) for land controlled by RIOC, financial contributions to Roosevelt Island by NYC and more.
Click here for theLetter Agreement detailing the commitments made by Cornell NYC Tech to City Council Member Jessica Lappin, the entire City Council and the Roosevelt Island Community which are included as part of the lease agreement between the NYC and Cornell for the Goldwater Hospital site. In addition to the commitments included in the lease agreement, NYC Deputy Mayor’s Robert Steel sent this letter dated May 2 2012 to Ms. Lappin regarding NYC contributing operating funds for a pilot Roosevelt Island ferry service and NYPD monitoring security concerns for the new campus.
Here's the Press Release from Ms. Lappin's office:
Today, City Council Member Jessica Lappin, Council Speaker Christine C. Quinn, Cornell NYC Tech Vice President Cathy Dove, Cornell NYC Tech Dean Dan Huttenlocher, and Roosevelt Island community members announced that the City Council will vote to approve the Cornell NYC Tech campus on Roosevelt Island.
“Cornell NYC Tech is about the future of New York—it will drive innovation and economic growth for generations to come. When this idea was first proposed, I formed a community coalition to champion building the campus in Manhattan, and specifically Roosevelt Island. The new school will be a tremendous boon, not only for my City Council district, but for the entire Big Apple,” said Council Member Jessica Lappin, whose district includes Roosevelt Island.
Today’s City Council vote is the final step in the city’s land use review process for Cornell NYC Tech, two million-square-foot applied sciences and engineering campus that will be located at the Goldwater Hospital site on Roosevelt Island in Manhattan. The project is expected to have a $33 billion economic impact, creating 48,000 new jobs and 1,000 spin-off companies over the next three decades.[1]
Council Member Jessica Lappin negotiated to secure many commitments from the Administration and Cornell NYC Tech. The city has pledged to contribute funding to a one-year summer ferry service pilot program and has designated an NYPD liaison to ensure continued safety and security on Roosevelt Island. The university has committed to:
· Undertake the most aggressive voluntary use of barging in New York City, which will reduce the number of construction vehicles on Roosevelt Island by more than half, as compared to traditional building techniques.
· Partner with New York City middle schools to create Science, Technology, Education, and Mathematics (STEM) programs, with a special focus on girls. Initial pilot programs will begin at P.S./I.S. 217 on Roosevelt Island, M.S. 406 in East Harlem, and I.S. 204 and P.S. 111 in Long Island City, Queens. Starting this summer, Cornell NYC Tech will sponsor an immersion program for girls in these schools to learn coding, web design, robotics and mobile development under the mentorship of some of the industry’s top engineers and entrepreneurs.
· "Adopt" the local school on Roosevelt Island, PS/IS 217, by providing programming such as teacher training and support, after school programming, tech events, career day options, and hardware and software programming development.
· Conduct air monitoring throughout the project, including demolition, excavation and construction. The results of this monitoring will be posted on the construction website.
· Engage extensively with the Roosevelt Island community by creating a construction task force with residents and others; researching ways that technology can enhance the lives of the disabled and the older adults on the Island; providing computers and training to senior center members and the disabled community; providing a tech fair to advance technology education for the disabled; working with the community to program outdoor space for children.
Speaker Christine C. Quinn said “Cornell NYC Tech is a win for the City of New York, Roosevelt Island community and our local economy. This campus will help New York City continue to attract more of the brightest minds, which in turn, will attract more of the best businesses. The City Council is proud to approve the final steps necessary for construction to commence, and we look forward to the completion of this new state-of-the-art campus.”
Cathy Dove, Vice President, Cornell NYC Tech said “We are extremely grateful for the leadership of Council Member Lappin and Speaker Quinn, for the support of the City Council, and for Mayor Bloomberg's vision. We worked throughout the public review process to incorporate input from the community into our approach– that input has resulted in a stronger campus plan. We are confident the result is a Cornell Tech campus we can all be proud of and that will benefit both the Roosevelt Island community and the entire city. We look forward to breaking ground next year and continuing to work closely with the community as our campus develops.”
Ellen Polivy, Co-Chair of the Roosevelt Island Community Coalition (RICC) said “Council Member Lappin did an amazing job fighting for us. Cornell NYC Tech’s “adoption” of our local school was much appreciated by everybody. I want to thank Cornell for all their work to plan for the future, and we look forward to a successful partnership going forward.”
Jonathan Kalkin, Co-Chair of Roosevelt Island Community Coalition (RICC) said “It’s been exciting to work with Council Member Lappin and Cornell. Cornell NYC Tech will be a game changer for Roosevelt Island and for New York City. We can’t wait to see what innovations will come from the school, and we look forward to greeting our new neighbors.”
The NYC Council Land Use Committee approved the Roosevelt Island Cornell NYC Tech ULURP application last Thursday May 2. The Cornell NYC Tech ULURP application will now proceed to the full NYC Council and Mayor Bloomberg for expected approval. However, even after final approval from NYC, Cornell NYC Tech still needs to negotiate and come to an agreement with the Roosevelt Island Operating Corp (RIOC) for the approximately 3 acres of land controlled by RIOC within the planned Cornell NYC Tech campus on the site of the current Goldwater Hospital.
Click here for theLetter Agreement detailing the commitments made by Cornell NYC Tech to City Council Member Jessica Lappin, the entire City Council and the Roosevelt Island Community which are included as part of the lease agreement between the NYC and Cornell for the Goldwater Hospital site. In addition to the commitments included in the lease agreement, NYC Deputy Mayor’s Robert Steel sent this letter dated May 2 2012 to Ms. Lappin regarding NYC contributing operating funds for a pilot Roosevelt Island ferry service and NYPD monitoring security concerns for the new campus.
As previously reported, the NYC Land Use Committee held Public Hearing on the Cornell NYC Tech application on April 30. Witnesses at the hearing were representatives from NYC, Cornell NYC Tech and Roosevelt Island residents. Click here for the full video of the hearings. (the video is from the NYC Council and includes all Land Use Committee hearing for the day. The Roosevelt Island Cornell NYC Tech hearing begins at the 2 hour 28 minute mark).
Just about everything you want to know about the Cornell NYC Tech project and how it will impact Roosevelt Island is discussed in the video. Watch it.
... Community Board 8 and Manhattan Borough President Scott Stringer have already approved the Cornell-Technion project’s rezoning application. Now, it must be approved by the City Council.
The City Council Zoning Committee will hold a public hearing on the Cornell-Technion project on April 30th at 9:30 a.m. at 250 Broadway, 14th Floor, New York, NY 10007. This campus will be a game-changer for Roosevelt Island and New York City. However, I have serious concerns about the impact of truck traffic on the Island during construction. At the hearing I will push the university to use barging for significant percentage of its materials to minimize the disruption to residents....
Dr. Irwin Mark Jacobs, Founding Chairman and CEO Emeritus of Qualcomm, and his wife Joan Klein Jacobs, today announced a $133-million gift to Cornell University and the Technion-Israel Institute of Technology to create the Joan and Irwin Jacobs Technion-Cornell Innovation Institute (JTCII). The JTCII is a key component of Cornell Tech, whose permanent campus will be located on Roosevelt Island. The funds will help support curriculum initiatives, faculty and graduate students, and industry interactions in a two-year graduate program. The gift was announced at City Hall with Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg, Cornell President David J. Skorton and Technion President Peretz Lavie.
The Jacobses are both Cornell alumni who have a long history of supporting both Cornell and the Technion-Israel Institute of Technology. They have established the Irwin M. and Joan K. Jacobs Scholars and Fellows Programs and the Irwin and Joan Jacobs Professorship, both in the College of Engineering, as well as the Joan Klein Jacobs Cornell Tradition Fellowship in the College of Human Ecology at Cornell. Dr. Jacobs is a former member of the Cornell University Council and Mrs. Jacobs served on the President’s Council of Cornell Women. In recognition of their distinguished service to Cornell, Dr. and Mrs. Jacobs were both elected Presidential Councillors in 2005. The Jacobses’ visionary support of the Technion includes the Irwin and Joan Jacobs Graduate School and the Irwin and Joan Jacobs Center for Communications and Information Technologies. A member of the Technion International Board of Governors, Dr. Jacobs is a Life Trustee of the American Technion Society (ATS) National Board of Regents, and a member of the ATS San Diego Chapter. Dr. Jacobs, along with Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg and Google Executive Chairman Eric Schmidt, serves as an advisor to Cornell Tech.
Dr. and Mrs. Jacobs are among the world’s most generous philanthropists. Their support has had a significant impact on numerous cultural, medical, educational, and civic organizations. The engineering school at the University of California, San Diego bears Dr. and Mrs. Jacobs’ names, as do the performing arts center of the campus La Jolla Playhouse and the new UCSD Medical Center.
“We are delighted to partner with Cornell and the Technion on this unique educational initiative,” said Joan and Irwin Jacobs. “We believe strongly in the mission of this international collaboration to drive innovation and to foster economic development. We are proud of our long association with both of these distinguished institutions and share their dedication to inspire and train a next generation of entrepreneurs, forming new companies and strengthening existing ones including, of course, Qualcomm.”
“Cornell Tech will bring a sharp increase in science and engineering teaching, attract students from around the world, and spin off new local companies and thousands of new jobs, and inject billions of dollars into our economy,” said Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg. “Irwin and Joan Jacobs have helped pave the way for innovations that improve our world, and the endowment they’re creating at Cornell Tech will do the same. We’re grateful for their investment in the future of New York City.”
“This transformative gift will support the distinctive international partnership between Cornell and the Technion that is already creating a new model of graduate tech education in New York City,” said Cornell President David J. Skorton. “We are overwhelmed by the continuing generosity of Joan and Irwin Jacobs, whose commitment to Cornell and to innovation in engineering and related disciplines is deeply appreciated.”
“Joan and Irwin’s magnificent gift will play a major and decisive role in fulfilling Mayor Bloomberg’s vision of creating a leading global center of innovation in the heart of New York, enabling the city to become the technology capital of the world,” said Technion President Peretz Lavie. “The Joan and Irwin Jacobs Technion-Cornell Innovation Institute will also serve as a bridge between Israel and the USA and Haifa and New York. We are also very grateful to theAmerican Technion Society for their continued support and help in securing this gift.”
Craig Gotsman, the Founding Director of JTCII and the Technion’s Hewlett-Packard Professor of Computer Engineering, said, “I am proud to lead this endeavor that will help bring a global startup culture to New York and encourage the entrepreneurial efforts of our faculty and students. Together with our partners at Cornell Tech, we look forward to nurturing the next generation of applied technology leaders who will meet the needs of New York’s economy.”
“Today marks another important step forward for an initiative that we believe will transform ourCity for generations to come,” said New York City Economic Development Corporation President Seth W. Pinsky. “Applied Sciences NYC is a key piece of our larger innovation strategy that includes ongoing efforts to foster research and training at all levels of education. I would like to thank Dr. and Mrs.Jacobs for their generosity, as well as Presidents Skorton and Lavie, for their partnership and collaboration. ”
The JTCII plans to offer a two-year interdisciplinary program where students earn dual master degrees concurrently — one from Cornell and one from the Technion. This degree program will allow students to specialize in applied information-based sciences in one of three hubs focused around leading New York City industries – Connective Media, Healthier Living and The Built Environment–while honing their entrepreneurial skills. The first area of specialization will be in Connective Media and is slated to begin in the fall of 2014. Research will also be focused on the hub areas.
A novel program for Postdoctoral Innovation Fellows will launch in Fall 2013. The aim is to support individuals who seek to commercialize their research ideas in the stimulating environment at the JTCII while taking full advantage of the entrepreneurial network of Cornell Tech and the proximity to New York City-based markets.
Cornell Tech offers a distinctive model of graduate tech education that fuses scientific excellence with real-world applications and entrepreneurship, rooted in the latest academic research. Students, faculty and industry experts learn and work together to develop ideas and create new ventures that have global impact. The campus is attracting the best and brightest in technology, immersing them in an entrepreneurial culture with deep ties to the local business community, aiming to spawn new companies and tech ventures in New York City.
This gift marks another major milestone for the campus. Cornell Tech launched its first degree program in January – a Cornell University Master of Engineering in Computer Science and is rapidly rolling out new academic programs, recruiting star faculty, developing a distinctive new model of tech entrepreneurship, and designing its permanent campus on Roosevelt Island, which will break groundearly next year.
The City's Applied Sciences NYC initiative was designed to capitalize on the considerable growth presently occurring within the science, technology and research fields in New York, and builds on the Bloomberg Administration’s dedication to creating a more diversified and competitive economy for the future. In December 2011, the Cornell and Technion partnership was selected by the City as the first winner of the Applied Sciences competition. When completed, the Roosevelt Island campus will house approximately 2,000 full-time graduate students.
The NY Times has more on the Cornell Technion curriculum:
... Information technology is the common thread through the eight degrees the school plans to offer. Three will be dual master’s degrees from Cornell and the Technion, based on three “hubs” rather than traditional departments. One hub program, “connective media,” has largely been mapped out — though professors warn that it is subject to change as technology changes — and will deal with designing the mobile, fragmented and endlessly malleable technology that makes everyone a media creator as well as consumer. The other hubs, still under development, are being called “healthier life” (systems to improve health care delivery as well as personal technology) and “built environment” (computing applied to the physical world around us, from robotic devices to smart building design to real-time traffic information)....
... pivotal for furthering NY's growing technological sector by increasing interaction between the academic community and local businesses ... this project will create new publicly accessible open space and facilitate improvements on Roosevelt island...
Ms. Burden also noted modifications to Cornell's application that were suggested by Roosevelt Island Community Coalition (RICC) members including:
insuring esplanade around the campus continues to be accessible 24 hours,
insuring public accessible space open until 10 PM year round,
cafes open to the public,
insuring open space is being provided in sufficient amounts and configurations,
modification of bulk regulation only by Special Permit and
disposition of city owned property should be restricted to uses more closely associated with Cornell Technion proposal.
Several NYC Planning Commissioners expressed concern over the burdensome traffic impact the project will bring to Roosevelt Island's only street - and were particularly concerned that Cornell might not utilize barges during the construction process nor contribute to the added costs imposed on Roosevelt Island residents and the Roosevelt Island Operating Corp (RIOC) by the increased services anticipated for the Cornell campus. According to Commissioner Michelle de la Luz who cast the lone no vote:
... a few details... remain to be finalized to insure the projects vast benefits don't come at the expense of the Island residents and can be more formally linked to work force development opportunities so that NYC residents with limited career prospects can also benefit from this transformative project...
Following today's NYC Planning Commission meeting, I received the following statement from Cornell NYC Tech's Director of Capital Projects and Planning Andrew Winters reiterating Cornell's position on barging and temporary cement batch plant. According to Mr. Winters:
BARGING: Cornell is actively exploring the feasibility of utilizing barging techniques to help limit construction traffic on to the Island. We are considering two barging techniques: a floating harbor barge for bulk materials and a fixed platform for driving trucks directly from barges to the site. The use of barges in the construction process will require approvals and permits from the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (NYSDEC) and the US Army Corps of Engineers. As part of this investigation, we have been meeting with NYSDEC to discuss regulations regarding temporary installations and to determine pre-application procedures for expedited review. NYSDEC has requested a series of studies, including water depth, sea-wall conditions, and preliminary engineering, which we have initiated. In addition to working with the regulatory agencies, engineers, and others, in the Final Environmental Impact Statement we have included an assessment of the environmental consequences of barging as an alternative construction measure to make sure that all effects have been fully considered in the event that barging proves to be feasible.
CEMENT: We do not believe that hosting a batch plant on site is the most effective way to limit impacts of construction and have a number of specific concerns about the feasibility of a batch plant for this project. The volume of concrete that we're going to be using, particularly in the first phase, is very small. Two of the first four buildings will be steel frame buildings, limiting the total amount of concrete construction to 400,000 square feet at a maximum. We've researched other projects in the City and found that even on dramatically larger projects, including the World Trade Center and Hudson Yards, construction managers have found the challenges of using a batch plant overwhelming and have chosen not to use them. Finally, DEC has noted additional concerns, including the possibility of runoff due to the site's proximity to the edge of the island, which is only 800 feet wide at its widest. Though we are still looking at it, the feedback we've gotten is that the combination of the volume, the industrial issues and the cost, make it an extremely challenging route for this project.
Below is Cornell Press Release on today's NYC Planning Commission approval:
The City Planning Commission today approved Cornell Tech’s Roosevelt Island Campus plan as part of the City’s public land use review process. The plan now continues to the final stage in the process with review by the City Council.
The Roosevelt Island campus will sit on a 12-acre site, with groundbreaking planned for early 2014, campus opening expected in 2017 and full build out in 2037. In January, Cornell Tech welcomed its first “beta” class of Master of Engineering students in computer science. The program is being housed at Cornell Tech’s temporary campus location in Chelsea, in space donated by Google.
“We are grateful to Chair Burden and the City Planning Commission for engaging in such a thorough analysis of the campus plan and ultimately offering their full support,” said Cornell Tech Vice President Cathy Dove. “At each step in this review process we have gained valuable insight and been able to improve our plan, and we look forward to continuing that dialogue with the City Council.”
“With the first students and faculty on our current campus in Chelsea, we’re building the new academic model that the campus on Roosevelt Island will support and encourage,” said Cornell Tech Dean Dan Huttenlocher. “We are grateful for the support of the City and the entire tech community as we move forward with the goal of spurring innovation and supporting economic growth in New York and beyond.”
Approval by the City Planning Commission is another major milestone for the campus. Cornell Tech welcomed its first students in January and is rapidly rolling out new academic programs, recruiting star faculty, developing a distinctive new model of tech entrepreneurship, and designing its permanent campus on Roosevelt Island.
Cornell Tech is offering a distinctive model of graduate tech education that fuses educational excellence with real-world commercial applications and entrepreneurship, rooted in the latest academic research. Students, faculty and industry experts are learning and working together to launch ideas and create new ventures that have global impact. The campus is attracting the best and brightest in technology, immersing them in an entrepreneurial culture with deep ties to the local business community intended to spur the creation of new companies and new industries in New York City.
The Roosevelt Island plan reflects Cornell Tech’s commitment to innovation not only in the academic program for the campus but also in its physical development. The new campus will include up to 2.1 million square feet of development, housing approximately 2,000 full-time graduate students, by full build-out in 2037. The first phase will include up to 790,000 square feet of development, including the first academic building and reflecting all of the uses that will be in place at full build-out.
UPDATE 3/21 - According to a NYC Planning Commission Spokesperson:
The Commission heard testimony from RICC and from the Community Board about the applicants’ construction plan, and the project’s overall impact on Roosevelt Island’s
infrastructure costs and financial responsibilities.
With respect to construction, the Commission believes that the barging of materials to the construction site may be an effective way to alleviate the amount of truck trips that would otherwise be required to travel through the existing Roosevelt Island community and encourages the applicant to give careful consideration to this alternative as it further develops its construction plans. The Commission notes that the applicant agreed to further study this option in its letter to the Commission dated February 15, 2013.
Roosevelt Island resident Jonathan Kalkin adds:
As Co-Chair of RICC, I am very proud of what our board and the coalition has accomplished in a very short period of time. It has been a pleasure and an honor to work with this team and see so many people work into the night reviewing EIS documents and writing/testifying on behalf of this community. Throughout this process, CB8, our Borough President and now the City Planning Commission have echoed our thoughts and concerns. The Coalition has always been in favor of the Cornell NYC Tech project and we believe that the success of the University and the success of this community is dependent on the University's commitment to Roosevelt Island. We look forward to working with Cornell and testifying on behalf of the community to the New York City Council.
Just received the following Press Release from Manhattan Borough President Scott Stringer's office:
Manhattan Borough President Scott M. Stringer today issued conditional approval for the proposed Cornell NYC Tech campus on Roosevelt Island by Cornell University and the New York City Economic Development Corporation. In developing his Uniform Land Use Review Procedure (ULURP) recommendation, Stringer secured commitments to pursue several modifications to the project, which include construction mitigation, the creation of a community advisory committee on open space, expanding the hours of the campus open space, expansion of the red bus line, and commitment to study co-generation and pedestrian access to the Queens Borough Bridge.
“I am proud today to announce my recommendation for conditional approval of the Cornell NYC Tech, which will help integrate this important economic development project with the local community,” Borough President Stringer said. “I believe the modifications agreed to today will bring this proposal further in line with sound planning and community preferences.”
"Borough President Stringer has been a true leader in supporting and guiding the growth of New York's tech sector and we're extremely grateful for his support of Cornell Tech," said Cornell President David J. Skorton. "Cornell Tech will help drive economic development in New York for years to come, but we know the campus will only be a success if we are good neighbors. We are grateful for the Borough President's support, and are committed to addressing the matters he raised as part of our ongoing effort to ensure that this campus respects and partners with the Roosevelt Island community”
In his comments, Borough President Stringer cited the need to focus on expanding and strengthening the technology sector. New York City has become one of the nation’s fastest growing technology markets and universities play a key role in advancing research and development in those fields. He further acknowledged that the Cornell University has already committed to working with local middle schools to create a new pilot program tech education program, which was a key recommendation in the Borough President’s recently-issued Start-up City report.
Among Borough President Stringer's recommendations are:
Mitigate construction by actively pursuing barging, and agreeing that if it is not feasible, protocols will be developed to limit noisy deliveries; to have independent monitoring and air quality monitoring through demolition and excavation; and pursue a construction remediation plan for potential soil contaminants;
Increase Red Bus service on the island through construction, develop programs to encourage its employees to use mass transit; and study pedestrian access improvements to the Ed Koch Queensboro Bridge;
Continue to work on potential parking impacts, conduct a study of potential parking impacts from the hotel and corporate co-location building, create a new certification process to evaluate parking impacts if no parking is created,
Commit that all new laboratories will comply with all performance standards outlined in the zoning resolution for M1 zoning districts to minimize impact on surrounding residents.
and:
“The proposed project will have significant benefits to New York City as it will expand our ever-growing tech sector,” said Borough President Stringer. "I am pleased that Cornell University has been willing to work with our office and the local community."
In December, Community Board 8 voted to conditionally approve the proposed actions based on similar issues of concern. The project will continue to move through the City's Uniform Land Use Review Procedure; the next step will be a review by the City Planning Commission and then final review by the City Council.
Click here for Borough President Stringer's full recommendations on the Roosevelt Island Cornell NYC Tech project.
Part 2 of Q and A. (a few moments between part 1 and 2 of Q and A are missing.
The Cornell NYC Tech project was conditionally approved last December 19 by Community Board 8 prior to Borough President Stringer's approval today. Next step in ULURP process is
The Cornell NYC Tech Roosevelt Island Land Use Application passed its first test of the NYC Uniform Land Use Review Procedure (ULURP) Wednesday night with the overwhelming approval of Community Board 8 (CB 8). The vote was 32 in support, one opposed, 3 abstaining and 1 not voting though there was an exhaustive list of conditions attached to the approval resolution representing the concerns of Roosevelt Island residents and the Roosevelt Island Community Coalition (RICC)
Here's Part 1 of what happened beginning with a brief review of the project by Cornell NYC Tech VP Cathy Dove followed by CB 8 members discussing the resolution including conditions
and Part 2 (about 1 minute is missing between Parts 1 and 2)
According to the ULURP process, CB 8's approval has no decision making authority but its recommendations are advisory and establishes a record as part of the ongoing ULURP process.
Cornell's ULURP Land Use Application now goes on for review by the Manhattan Borough President's office, Planning Commission, NYC Council and the Mayor's office.
Will have more later including the CB 8 Approval Resolution, with conditions, and statement form Cornell NYC Tech.
Stay tuned.
UPDATE 1:40 PM:
Received this statement from RICC Co-Chair, CB 8 member and Roosevelt Island Residents Association President (RIRA) Ellen Polivy:
Congratulations to all the Island organizations who are members of the Roosevelt Island Community Coalition (RICC) for thinking through your needs and expectations, read the Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) and spoke at the public hearings. Thanks to the RICC Board who spent hundreds of hours compiling and organizing and fought so hard at all the hearings and meetings to give Cornell an accurate picture of our community and our expectations. And thanks to the Roosevelt Island CB8 members who accurately represented the Community's concerns in writing the report that was voted on tonight. Cathy Dove's speech was a beautiful example of what can happen when a big development and a community works together. Tonight's vote was a win for everyone. We've got a long way to go, but we have a good start.
Ms. Polivy adds:
Here is the draft report that we voted on with a minor friendly amendment that requests that Cornell take the community's requests into account when dealing with parking spaces. The official document will be produced in a few days and you can replace this with that when we get it.
Tonight the Community showed its power. Thanks to RICC, Larry Parnes, Jeff Escobar and I were able to write a very good report that passed the Community Board overwhelmingly. It was a very successful document that creates a win-win-win-win. Everyone is happy right now. Us, Cornell, the elected officials....
The RICC Board is continuing our conversations with Cornell and Jessica Lappin and soon will be meeting with Scott Stringer's office for another stage in the process. It will be important for the City Planning hearings to get a huge showing from the Island.
The CB 8 Draft resolution with conditions set forth is here. It was approved with the addition of a "friendly amendment" not yet available in printed form. The "friendly amendment" was a recommendation to Cornell to increase the number of planned parking spaces for the project which Cornell wishes to limit in order not to encourage increased automobile traffic on Roosevelt Island. (Will have more on this subject soon)
On behalf of the entire Cornell community, many thanks to the members of the Community Board Task Force and the numerous residents, community groups and civic organizations of Roosevelt Island that we have met with over the past several months. Our meetings with the community began even prior to being named as the university who will build this transformational campus. To date, our Cornell team has participated in dozens of meetings with members of the Community Board, the Roosevelt Island Task Force, and various Roosevelt Island organizations including the Roosevelt Island Community Coalition (RICC). These meetings have been extremely informative, and will help ensure that Cornell is the best neighbor possible to the Roosevelt Island community
As part of this process, Cornell has received a number of questions from Roosevelt Island residents, board members, and organizations, and has responded in detail to those questions in forums, as well as in two separate documents. Those questions ranged from questions on the environmental review, to questions about the land use proposal and campus plans, to questions about Cornell’s role in the broader Roosevelt Island community. While we understand that the Community Board Office has distributed the written questions and our responses, we are also attaching them to this memo.
At the last public hearing, Linda Heimer did a wonderful job of summarizing resident questions and concerns. She appropriately recognized that Cornell cannot “fix everything on the Island,” but wants to make sure that we work closely with the community and “support positive improvements.” We completely agree and are committed to doing so.....
The written responses from Cornell NYC Tech referenced by Ms. Dove are here and Cornell NYC Tech Press release is below.
Manhattan Community Board 8 approved Cornell Tech’s Roosevelt Island Campus plan last night as part of New York City’s public land use review process. The plan now continues through the process with review by the Manhattan Borough President, followed by the City Planning Commission and City Council. The Community Board’s approval came exactly one year after Cornell University, with its academic partner the Technion-Israel Institute of Technology, was selected by the City to develop the applied science and engineering campus. The Roosevelt Island campus will sit on a 12-acre site and is slated to open in2017, with full build out in 2037.
“Roosevelt Island has a fantastic history of innovation and civic participation, and we were still gratified by the interest and support of so many Islanders from day 1,” said Cornell Tech Vice President Cathy Dove. “We are appreciative for the support of our new neighbors and assure them that the construction and operation of the campus will be handled in a way that protects, respects and welcomes the rest of the Island. We look forward to continuing the dialogue about this innovative new campus with New Yorkers during the public review process and beyond.”
The Community Board approval caps a first year full of milestones for Cornell Tech, which will welcome its first “beta” class of students in January:
· Leadership Put in Place: In February, Dan Huttenlocher and Cathy Dove were chosen as co-leaders of the campus, and Craig Gotsman was chosen to lead the Technion-Cornell Innovation Institute. Soon after, former Twitter CTO Greg Pass joined Cornell Tech as the founding Entrepreneurial Officer to lead the campus’ collaboration with the tech industry and Deborah Estrin, an applied sciencetech pioneer, became the first full-time faculty member.
· Three of the world’s leading tech entrepreneurs – Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg, Qualcomm Founder Irwin Jacobs, and Google Executive Chairman Eric Schmidt – announced in September that they will provide ongoing guidance on the programmatic and physical development to help shape the vision for the campus.
· Temporary Campus Opens: Google allocated space in its Chelsea building free of charge to Cornell Tech while the university completes its campus on Roosevelt Island. The space allowed Cornell to launch its presence in NY in close proximity to tech companies and entrepreneurs with whom it will collaborate.
· Campus Plan Developed: Pritzker Prize-winning architect Thom Mayne of Morphosis was chosen to design the first academic building for the planned campus on Roosevelt Island. The 150,000-square-foot building will serve as the flagship academic structure for the new campus. Other award-winning architects are contributing to the campus - the campus plan is being designed by Skidmore,Owings and Merrill and the landscape architect is James Corner Field Operations.
· Academic Programs Launched: Classes will start in January 2013 at the Chelsea campus for a “beta” class of computer science Masters of Engineering students.
· Partnership Formed with Dept. of Commerce: Cornell Tech announced a partnership with the U.S. Commerce Department to give students and researchers direct access to resources that will help them bring their ideas to market and grow their businesses.
“This is such an exciting time and place to be launching Cornell Tech, with the support of the City, our neighbors and the tech community,” said Cornell Tech Dean Dan Huttenlocher. “When our beta class arrives in January we’ll be debuting a new curriculum built on academic excellence, interdisciplinary focus and entrepreneurial spirit, all with the goal of spurring innovation and supporting economic growth in New York and beyond.”
Cornell Tech’s new campus is offering a distinctive model of graduate tech education that fuses educational excellence with real-world commercial applications and entrepreneurship, rooted in the latest academic research. Students, faculty and industry experts will learn and work together to launch ideas and create new ventures that have global impact. The campus will attract the best and brightest in technology, immerse them in an entrepreneurial culture with deep ties to the local business community, and spur the creation of new companies and new industries in New York City. The campus master plan reflects Cornell Tech’s commitment to innovation not only in the academic program for the campus but also in its physical development. The new campus will include up to 2.1 million square feet of development, housing approximately 2,000 full-time graduate students, by full build-out in 2037. The first phase will include up to 790,000 square feet of development, including the first academic building and reflecting all of the uses that will be in place at full build-out.
As Ms. Polivy stated, there is still lots to be done.
Roosevelt Island is a mixed income, racially diverse waterfront community situated in the East River of New York City between Manhattan and Queens and is jurisdictionally part of Manhattan. The Roosevelt Island Tramway, which connects Roosevelt Island to the rest of Manhattan, has become the iconic symbol of Roosevelt Island to its residents.
The Purpose of this Blog is to provide accurate and timely information about Roosevelt Island as well as a forum for residents to express opinions and engage in a dialogue to improve our community.
