Connecting industry with our curriculum and research is a key Cornell Tech tenet. In The Bridge at Cornell Tech, a corporate co-location building, established tech companies and startups are located side-by-side academic researchers with the goal of bringing tech to market faster. Developed in partnership with Forest City Ratner Companies. Learn about opportunities at thebridgeatcornelltech.com.
Forest City Ratner Companies is developing the first office building of the Cornell Tech Campus on Roosevelt Island. This building, called The Bridge, represents the first opportunity for private industry – from established tech companies to small start-ups – to co-locate and partner with the faculty, students and staff at Cornell Tech to advance and commercialize new technologies. The Bridge at Cornell Tech will revolutionize the relationship between academia and industry – creating an environment to co-create and to collaborate in order to invent solutions to the real world challenges of the future. It will be a place where industry will have access to a talent pool that represents the best of the best in technological and entrepreneurial minds, and where industry will have the opportunity to partner with faculty on the cutting edge of applied research. The building features approximately 242,000 rentable square feet.
Forest City Ratner's Kate Bicknell described the Bridge At Cornell Tech during a presentation to July 26 meeting of the Roosevelt Island Construction & Community Task Force. According to Ms Bicknell, the approximately 230,000 six story Bridge at Cornell Tech will be 2/3 leased to co-working spaces, start ups and established tech companies with the remaining 1/3 of office space leased by Cornell Tech. There will also be 6,000 square feet of ground floor retail including food and beverage operators.
Below is a rendering of the outdoor patio area. Wow, what a view!!!
The Bridge at Cornell Tech, designed by WEISS/MANFREDI and developed by Forest City Ratner Companies, will be a first-of-its-kind building that will house an ecosystem of companies, researchers and entrepreneurs who are focused on catalyzing innovation and the commercialization of new products and technologies, driving economic growth for New York. More info:
Day and Nighttime Images of the Bridge At Cornell Tech From WEISS MANFREDI
The Bridge will open summer 2017 along with the other Cornell Tech phase one buildings:
The Bloomberg Center - in honor of Emma and Georgina Bloomberg, designed by Pritzker Prize-winning architect Thom Mayne of Morphosis Architects. The building is a departure from traditional academic facilities with an open plan and extensive collaborative as well as private work spaces, adapting open plan offices from the tech world to the academic arena. Cornell is aspiring for the building to be among the largest net–zero energy buildings in the United States, with all of its power generated on campus.
A residential building, designed by Handel Architects and developed by Hudson and Related Companies, that will be the first residential Passive House high-rise in the world. Passive House is the strict international building standard that drastically reduces energy consumption while creating a healthier and more comfortable living environment for a fraction of residents’ usual energy costs. The residential building will be for faculty, staff and students to ensure the campus is active 24/7.
When fully completed, the Cornell Tech campus will span 12 acres on Roosevelt Island and house approximately 2,000 students and hundreds of faculty and staff. The campus master plan was designed by Skidmore, Owings & Merrill with James Corner Field Operations, and includes a number of innovative features and facilities across a river-to-river campus with expansive views, a series of green, public spaces, and a seamless integration of indoor and outdoor areas. The campus will be one of the most environmentally friendly and energy-efficient campuses in the world.
Oh, and for the cherry on top of this cake, Mr. Bloomberg announced a gift of $100 million for construction of the Cornell Tech Roosevelt Island campus.
Cornell Tech Director of Capital Planning Andrew Winters briefed Mayor deBlasio on construction plans for the campus including solar panels, geothermal wells and the beloved Roosevelt Isladn Cherry Trees.
Then on to the the FDR Four Freedoms Park for the start of the ceremonial groundbreaking passing a family of Roosevelt Island geese on the West Promenade
under the Cherry Trees.
Cornell Tech Dean Dan Huttenlocher began the groundbreaking ceremony.
... even though physical construction of the campus here has just started, we're already working to be an active part of the community here on Roosevelt Island in our future home...
Here is the picture we took with Mayor DeBlasio following the Cornell Tech Ground Breaking:
Mandana Beckman, Ursula Fokine , Instructional Coach, Jennifer Bartolino , AP Students: Felicia Einhorn, Principal for A Day & Elyes Bouchik, Assistant Principal for a Day
The Twitterverse is concerned about impact of Cornell Tech on Roosevelt Island affordable housing.
All this stuff about Roosevelt Island and The Future and Tech is a big stupid waste if there isn't affordable housing on the island.
During press conference after the Cornell Tech Groundbreaking, I asked Mayor de Blasio about that issue. He said this.
Perhaps affordable housing on Roosevelt Island and elsewhere in NYC was the subject of this conversation between Mayor de Blasio
and Hudson Companies David Kramer
after the Cornell Tech groundbreaking ceremony.
Here's June 16 Press Release from Cornell Tech on the Roosevelt Island campus groundbreaking ceremony.
Cornell University President David J. Skorton, Cornell University Board Chair Robert S. Harrison, Cornell Tech Dean Daniel P. Huttenlocher, New York State Lt. Governor Kathleen Hochul, Mayor Bill de Blasio, New York City Council Speaker Melissa Mark-Viverito, former Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg, Forest City Ratner Companies President and CEO MaryAnne Gilmartin, and The Hudson Companies Principal David Kramer today celebrated the groundbreaking of Cornell Tech’s campus on Roosevelt Island and announced a $100 million gift from Bloomberg Philanthropies to fund construction of the campus. The first academic building on the campus will be named The Bloomberg Center – in honor of Emma and Georgina Bloomberg. Cornell Tech is a revolutionary model for graduate tech education, developing pioneering leaders and technologies for the digital age. Three years ago, Cornell and its academic partner, the Technion – Israel Institute of Technology won New York City’s competition – led by former Deputy Mayor Robert K. Steel – to build an applied sciences institution in partnership with the City. Today’s groundbreaking and the announcement of the generous donation mark a major milestone in this effort, with the first phase of the campus due to open in the summer of 2017.
Cornell Tech began classes in January 2013 at its temporary campus in space donated by Google in their Chelsea building. There are currently approximately 15 world-class faculty members, an additional 15 research and development staff, two dozen Ph.D. students in several disciplines, and four master’s programs: the MEng in computer science; the Johnson Cornell Tech MBA; the dual degree Connective Media program at the Jacobs Technion-Cornell Institute, the academic partnership between Cornell and the Technion; and starting this fall at the Jacobs Institute, Healthier Life, which will bridge the gap between healthcare and technology. The majority of Cornell Tech’s nearly 100 alumni are pursuing their own startups and working at companies in New York City.
“Cornell Tech isn’t just one of the world’s leading research institutions – it's a pioneering model for using tech to solve real-world problems, and an economic game-changer that will drive smart, powerful, and equitable growth in New York City for generations,” said Mayor Bill de Blasio. “The new Roosevelt Island campus will bring together academia and industry in the service of invention and innovation – and the result will be hundreds of homegrown companies that provide a pathway to opportunity for thousands of New Yorkers. We look forward to continued partnership with Cornell Tech, and commend Mayor Bloomberg's commitment to this effort, and to this groundbreaking institution.”
“We are so grateful for the generosity of Bloomberg Philanthropies. This gift holds special meaning because Mayor Bloomberg first envisioned the Applied Sciences initiative and has seen this project through since its inception in 2011,” said Cornell University President David J. Skorton. “At Cornell Tech we are creating a high-tech entrepreneurial hub for the benefit of the city, the state and the world, and I want to thank Governor Cuomo, Mayor Bloomberg, Mayor de Blasio and many others for their trust, vision and partnership as we work to reinvent graduate education for the digital age and build a pipeline of tech talent right here in New York.”
"New York became the greatest city in the world because we dared to dream bigger than anyone else, and this project – and the challenge it represents to Silicon Valley – are part of that tradition,” said Michael R. Bloomberg. “After talking with leaders from every industry, we launched a competition to bring an applied science campus here, to help lay an economic foundation for the next century -- creating jobs and opportunity for New Yorkers on every rung of the economic ladder. I believe in the importance of this public-private partnership to our city’s future, and it's why the contribution is in honor of my daughters, as there is no better gift I can leave them than to help make the world -- and their hometown -- a better place. This is a gift to support a brighter future for our city and for every young person who grows up here or comes here with a dream, like I did."
“Cornell Tech has come so far in just over three years, with new degree programs, faculty, 100 graduates and our developing campus on Roosevelt Island. We are extremely grateful to all of our partners in this effort, including the NYC tech community, the City, Roosevelt Islanders and many more who are helping us bring our vision to life,” said Cornell Tech Dean Daniel Huttenlocher.
"This is a historic day for Cornell University and for New York City. Cornell has had an unwavering commitment to innovation over its rich history, and Cornell Tech is a prime example of that. We are achieving something revolutionary here, and this very generous gift from Bloomberg Philanthropies is symbolic of our shared values and dedication to the future," said Robert S. Harrison, Cornell University Board Chair.
"Cornell Tech, which is the home of the Joan and Irwin Jacobs Technion-Cornell Institute, will be one of the most fascinating campuses ever built. It is extremely gratifying to know that the Technion is part of it. It will be one of the most modern and advanced research institutes in the world -- a citadel of innovation. When I visited Roosevelt Island recently, I felt that I was standing on a bridge between the Technion and Cornell University. I think everyone in Israel and New York should be proud of what has been accomplished here. I congratulate Mayor Michael Bloomberg for his vision and for his extraordinary gift that will help make this vision a reality," said Technion President Peretz Lavie.
“New York City is a global hub for innovation and there is no better home for Cornell Tech's new state-of-the-art campus than right here in the tech capital of the world. From its unique fusion of technology, art, open space and community to its commitment to sustainability and energy conservation, the Cornell Tech Roosevelt Island Campus represents the new frontier in education for the next generation of leaders and problem-solvers. The New York City Council is proud to welcome Cornell Tech to New York City and looks forward to its great success,” said New York City Council Speaker Melissa Mark-Viverito.
To commemorate the groundbreaking, Cornell Tech commissioned Cornell University alumnus Peter Gerakaris to create a site-specific installation at the RIVAA Gallery on Roosevelt Island. The exhibition opens today and represents the university’s presence by fusing art, technology, place and community. The sprawling 1,000-square-foot installation of kaleidoscopic imagery engages the public in visual play as new layers, patterns, and connections are revealed with each viewing. The exhibit is supported by a generous gift from the Eisenberg Family.
The first phase of Cornell Tech’s campus includes:
The Bloomberg Center, designed by Pritzker Prize-winning architect Thom Mayne of Morphosis Architects. The building is a departure from traditional academic facilities with an open plan and extensive collaborative as well as private work spaces, adapting open plan offices from the tech world to the academic arena. Cornell is aspiring for the building to be among the largest net-zero energy buildings in the United States, with all of its power generated on campus.
The Bridge at Cornell Tech, designed by WEISS/MANFREDI and developed by Forest City Ratner Companies, will be a first-of-its-kind building that will house an ecosystem of companies, researchers and entrepreneurs who are focused on catalyzing innovation and the commercialization of new products and technologies, driving economic growth for New York.
“The Bridge at Cornell Tech is a place for companies looking to test and launch products and ideas, a place where research comes to life and technology meets the market,” said MaryAnne Gilmartin, President and CEO of Forest City Ratner Companies. “For the right companies committed to innovation and collaboration, The Bridge will provide a massive competitive advantage at the center of the campus and the heart of New York City.”
A residential building, designed by Handel Architects and developed by Hudson and Related Companies, that will be the first Passive House high-rise in the world. Passive House is the strict international building standard that drastically reduces energy consumption while creating a healthier and more comfortable living environment for a fraction of residents’ usual energy costs. The residential building will be for faculty, staff and students to ensure the campus is active 24/7.
“We have spent the past 2 years working with an incredible team of engineers and designers to establish this new standard for a 26 story building,” said David Kramer, Principal of the Hudson Companies. “We hope that this boundary-pushing development will serve as a living lab and enduring inspiration to the community of next-generation problem solvers who will live within its (well insulated) walls.”
The first phase of the campus will open summer 2017. When fully completed, the campus will span 12 acres on Roosevelt Island and house approximately 2,000 students and hundreds of faculty and staff. The campus master plan was designed by Skidmore, Owings & Merrill with James Corner Field Operations, and includes a number of innovative features and facilities across a river-to-river campus with expansive views, a series of green, public spaces, and a seamless integration of indoor and outdoor areas. The campus will be one of the most environmentally friendly and energy-efficient campuses in the world.
In May, 73 master’s students in computer science and business and 2 PhD students graduated from Cornell Tech, and more than half stayed in New York for job opportunities and to pursue their own startups. Almost one-third of the graduates are pursuing their own ventures that were developed on campus, including the winners of Cornell Tech’s first-ever Startup Awards. Through the awards, five groups of students are now working full-time on the companies they built during their academic program with pre-seed funding from the Blackstone Foundation and free co-working space at Forest City Ratner’s New York Times building.
Cornell Tech was founded when it was selected in December of 2011 as the winner of the New York City Economic Development Corporation’s Applied Sciences NYC initiative. The Economic Development Corporation, then led by Executive Director Seth Pinsky, sought proposals for a university to develop and operate a new or expanded campus in the City in exchange for City capital, access to City-owned land – and the full support and partnership of City government. Cornell’s proposal was selected ahead of submissions from 17 world-class institutions from around the globe. The Cornell and Technion partnership was selected by the City as the first winner of the competition and was provided with land on Roosevelt Island and $100 million in City capital to build the $2 billion, 2 million square foot tech campus.
Cornell Tech is already fulfilling its promise to New York City to spur tech education in New York City public schools. Cornell Tech has partnered with more than a dozen local schools, including PS/IS 217 on Roosevelt Island, and is coordinating professional development opportunities for teachers to gain experience in incorporating tech thinking into their teaching.
Cornell Tech
Cornell Tech develops pioneering leaders and technologies for the digital age. Cornell Tech brings together faculty, business leaders, tech entrepreneurs, and students in a catalytic environment to produce visionary results grounded in significant needs that will reinvent the way we live in the digital age. Cornell Tech’s temporary campus has been up and running at Google’s Chelsea building since 2012, with a growing world-class faculty, and about 150 master’s and Ph.D. students who collaborate extensively with tech-oriented companies and organizations and pursue their own startups. Construction is underway on Cornell Tech’s campus on Roosevelt Island, with a first phase due to open in 2017. When fully completed, the campus will include 2 million square feet of state-of- the-art buildings, over 2 acres of open space, and will be home to more than 2,000 graduate students and hundreds of faculty and staff.
Image of The Bridge at Cornell Tech Corporate Co-Location Building From Cornell Tech
announced:
Forest City Ratner Companies today launched The Bridge at Cornell Tech, a first-of-its-kind building that will be located at the heart of Cornell Tech’s campus on Roosevelt Island. The Bridge at Cornell Tech, developed by Forest City Ratner Companies and designed by WEISS/MANFREDI, will offer an opportunity for a limited number of start-ups and established companies pushing the edge of digital technology to be on campus. The Bridge will house an ecosystem of companies, researchers and entrepreneurs who are focused on catalyzing innovation and the commercialization of new products and technologies, driving economic growth for New York. The Bridge will be the only building in New York City designed and built to leverage the resources of a cutting edge research university, and to remove all barriers to collaboration and innovation with the world’s most cutting-edge companies. Construction commenced in May on the Bridge, which will be part of phase one of Cornell Tech’s campus, due to open in summer 2017. A video trailer introducing the building is available at www.thebridgeatcornelltech.com.
“The Bridge at Cornell Tech is a place for companies looking to test and launch products and ideas, a place where research comes to life and technology meets the market,” said MaryAnne Gilmartin, President and CEO of Forest City Ratner Companies. “For the right companies committed to innovation and collaboration, The Bridge will provide a massive competitive advantage at the center of the campus and the heart of New York City.”
“Cornell Tech has already made great strides in fusing academia and industry in our academic and research programs, and The Bridge will be the physical manifestation of that mission on our campus on Roosevelt Island,” said Cornell Tech Dean Dan Huttenlocher. “The Bridge will be the epicenter of this fusion on campus, putting practitioners, companies, students, faculty, and researchers in close proximity to one another in a design that encourages collaboration.”
From MetroTech in Brooklyn to the 5M project in San Francisco and University Park at MIT, Forest City has been at the forefront of place-making for the innovation economy, bringing together creative industry leaders and higher education to create truly 21st century places.
The Bridge will house a mix of cutting-edge companies working alongside groundbreaking Cornell academic teams: from recent Cornell Tech graduates spinning out new company ideas, to startups on the verge of explosive growth, and established companies testing their next product.
Designed with flexible spaces and loft-like common areas, the building will encourage random interactions and deep collaborations that solve problems, build partnerships and accelerate new products to market. The result will be one of the greatest concentrations of talent in the country, and an unparalleled community of entrepreneurs eager to collaborate and test new ideas, launch new products, and start new businesses.
“The Bridge is a crystalline incubator with river-to-river views and creates a three dimensional crossroads, an ecosystem of innovation that catalyzes collaboration between academics and entrepreneurs," said Marion Weiss and Michael Manfredi, design partners at WEISS/MANFREDI Architecture/Landscape/Urbanism.
From demo days, hackathons, lectures and conferences, to opportunities to collaborate with faculty and students and to participate in special events for the tech and creative community, companies at The Bridge will be part of and will thrive on the entrepreneurial energy at Cornell Tech and the larger NYC tech community. It will serve as a model for future tech sector growth and innovation.
The building is being designed to achieve LEED Silver certification, and, situated on the east side of Roosevelt Island, will feature expansive views of the waterfront, Queens and Manhattan. It will be one of the three main buildings as part of phase one of Cornell Tech’s campus, which also includes the First Academic Building, a residential building that will be the first Passive House high-rise in the world, and substantial open space. The campus will be one of the most environmentally-friendly and energy-efficient campuses in the world.
Cornell Tech announced today that the first residential building on its Roosevelt Island campus, developed in partnership with the Hudson Companies, will become the first high-rise residential building in the world built to Passive House standards. Passive House (PH) is the strict international building standard that drastically reduces energy consumption while creating a healthier and more comfortable living environment for a fraction of residents’ usual energy costs. The building will become the beacon of the Cornell Tech campus and a symbol of the school’s unwavering commitment to innovative sustainability. Construction is set to begin this month on the 270-foot tall building that will house approximately 350 residential units and is slated to open as part of the campus’ first phase in 2017.
To achieve Passive House standards, Cornell Tech Residential will incorporate a number of sustainability-focused design elements. The façade, constructed of a prefabricated metal panel system, acts as a thermally insulated blanket wrapping the building structure. At the southwest façade, facing Manhattan, the exterior façade opens to reveal a louver system that extends the entire height of the building. This reveal is designed to be the “gills” of the building, literally providing an enclosed exterior space where the heating and cooling equipment live, allowing the building system to breathe. Low VOC-paint, which limits off-gassing and improves indoor air quality, will be used throughout the building, among many other elements. Compared to conventional construction, the building is projected to save 882 tons of CO2 per year, equal to planting 5,300 new trees.
“Constructing the first Passive House residential high rise in the world is the latest and most exciting example of our effort to set new benchmarks in sustainability and innovation,” said Cornell Tech Dean Daniel Huttenlocher. “We hope this will serve as a model for how Passive House standards can be brought to scale in the United States and create a new template for green design here in New York City.”
“We have spent the past 2 years working with an incredible team of engineers and designers to establish this new standard for a 26 story building,” said David Kramer, Principal of the Hudson Companies. “We hope that this boundary-pushing development will serve as a living lab and enduring inspiration to the community of next-generation problem solvers who will live within its (well insulated) walls.”
The plans to achieve Passive House standards at Cornell Tech Residential were developed by a team of experts, including Handel Architects, Steven Winter Associates, Buro Happold, Monadnock Construction and co-owner Related Companies.
Luke Falk, Assistant Vice President of Sustainability for Related Companies said, “We are quite literally breaking new ground with the development of the world’s first high-rise residential passive house and it signifies the deep commitment by the entire project team to create a paradigm-shifting campus in New York City. This milestone is also the culmination of unprecedented collaboration between the public and private sector and demonstrates the energy-saving potential of high rise residential architecture that can be achieved with forward thinking partnerships.”
Considered the most rigorous energy efficiency standard in the world, PH buildings consume 60 – 70 percent less energy than typical building stock, surpassing modern standards like LEED and NYSERDA. The design also has a tremendous economic benefit for residents: Cornell Tech Residential tenants can expect to see this savings reflected in their electricity bills.
Passive buildings incorporate a super insulated building façade, an airtight building envelope and an energy recovery ventilation (ERV) system to create a comfortable interior climate without drafts and cold spots. The ERV system constantly pulls in fresh air and removes stale air, while recovering the energy in the climate-controlled air leaving the building. The PH requirement for the airtight facade (measured as air changes per hour or ACH) is 0.6 ACH, ten times tighter than typical new construction; new construction buildings average 6-8 ACH, while typical brownstones average 25 ACH.
The new structure, which is being designed by New York City-based Handel Architects LLP, will be the tallest building on Cornell Tech’s campus and an iconic marker. The building’s exterior will shimmer, using a state-of-the-art, color-changing paint that, when reflecting light, naturally shifts color from silver to warm champagne. The interior is designed to provide a comfortable living experience that reinforces the social and intellectual connectivity that is at the heart of the school’s mission. It is geared to further a dynamic environment in which students and faculty can benefit from the synergy of their peers. The building features a number of collaborative spaces, both inside and outside, to facilitate collective academic creativity.
“High-rise multifamily housing is a vital part of the solution to the challenges we are facing with increasing world populations and a changing climate,” said Blake Middleton FAIA, Handel Architects LLP. “The Cornell Tech commitment to innovation was the impetus to rethink how these buildings are designed and built, and we expect this project to be a game-changer, creating a new paradigm for affordable, high-performance buildings to meet this challenge.”
Former Mayor Michael Bloomberg will announce tomorrow that he has donated $100 million to the Cornell Tech campus on Roosevelt Island.
The donation, made through Bloomberg Philanthropies, will fund construction on the $2 billion campus and come with a nice perk–the first academic building will be named The Bloomberg Center, in honor of the billionaire’s daughters, Emma and Georgina....
sends this report to the Roosevelt Island community.
Creating a Vibrant and Open Campus
Now that we have completed the Cityʼs land use review process for the Cornell Tech campus, our planning is advancing and our vision for the campus is coming into clearer focus every day as we move toward aground breaking early next year. In this column we are stepping back from some of the details weʼve been focused on for the past few months and are taking a look at how weʼre working to make the campus active, open and engaging from the day we open in 2017. We made great progress on that front this week with the announcement of a partnership with Forest City Ratner to build one of the key buildings on campus, which Iʼll describe in greater detail below.
When we open our doors in 2017 itʼs important that the campus feel like a complete and wonderful place for students, faculty, staff, Islanders, companies and visitors. This is true both from a design perspective – with attractive and usable open space and a mix of building types and activities – and from a program perspective – with all of the components needed to achieve our academic mission.
When you approach the campus in 2017 and beyond, youʼll be welcomed by the first academic building at the campusʼ main entrance at the northwest corner of the site. As you may know, this building is being designed by Pritzker Prize-winning architect Thom Mayne of Morphosis. We released some very exciting renderings early this year. Since then the building has evolved and improved through the design process as we get closer to a final design. We will have new renderings to share in the fall and we couldnʼt be more excited about how this signature building is coming together.
The campus is designed to be open – and the architecture of the academic building also follows this principle. It will be open and permeable, inside and out. Inside, it will promote collaboration and an open exchange of ideas between students, faculty, researchers and the industry partners who will work with us. Outside, the building is being designed to welcome the community, with transparent lower floors and a public cafe that spills out on to the open space in warm weather.
The next key piece of the campus is the corporate co-location (“co-lo”) building. This building is a big part of what differentiates Cornell Tech – it will bring private companies directly onto the campus, promoting collaboration between academia and industry, helping to remove friction that can inhibit innovation. Industry plays a key role throughout the curriculum – companies are already partnering with us on special projects, weekly practicum courses and as mentors – but it is also important to have significant interaction as part of the overall campus activity. The way to do that is to provide space for relevant organizations to “co-locate” at the Cornell Tech campus.
The co-lo building will include between 150- 200,000 square feet of flexible space, with a diverse mix of tenants including both start-ups and established organizations. There will be a balance of incubator space, innovation centers for bigger companies and adaptable space for relevant organizations to spend time on the campus. The building will include flexible, open floor plans with common spaces to facilitate meetings and serendipitous, informal interactions between students, faculty and companies. We expect that leading-edge companies of all sizes and life-stages will be drawn to the innovation and energy of Cornell Tech, helping to accelerate the already rapid growth of New Yorkʼs tech sector. Cornell Tech will also occupy space in the building, further cementing the connection between academics and industry on campus.
We announced a major advancement regarding this building this week with the selection of Forest City Ratner Companies to develop the building, subject to finalizing plans and terms. Forest City Ratner would also oversee development of the first academic building, the open space and related infrastructure for the first phase of the campus, ensuring a coordinated approach to construction. The award- winning architecture, landscape and urbanism firm, WEISS/ MANFREDI will be the architect of the co-location building, furthering Cornell Techʼs commitment to innovation in design for this campus. Early concept drawings reflect a design that is equal to the significant architecture of the first academic building, and the overall beauty of Roosevelt Island. Now that the team is in place, we will begin the design process in seriousness, and look forward to sharing preliminary concepts with the community later this year.
This announcement was a major milestone for a number of reasons. The participation of a great partner in Forest City Ratner ensures we will be working with an extraordinarily capable firm. In addition, our plan always envisioned working with partners such as Forest City Ratner as a way to meet our aggressive timeline and to have a vibrant mix of activities when the campus opens in 2017.
We hope to have similar news to share about the first residential building and possibly our executive education center in the coming months, which would round out the first phase of the campus. I look forward to keeping everyone updated as this exciting new campus moves forward!
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.
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.
