By Rebecca Henely
U.S. Rep. Carolyn Maloney (D-Astoria), other Queens elected officials and Long Island City business groups threw their support Monday behind Roosevelt Island becoming the new site for an applied sciences and engineering university in the city.
“We believe the best location would be right here in western Queens,” Maloney said.
The endorsement of the island as a site for a new university was in response to Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s Applied Sciences NYC initiative. The city Economic Development Corp. launched the program last winter after making inquiries to various academics, community and business leaders about a way to achieve economic growth in the city and found that the city had a need for scientists and engineers. The city would provide the land and a seed investment for the university.
If Roosevelt Island is chosen, the university would be located on the site of Goldwater Hospital, which is south of the Ed Koch-Queensboro Bridge, said Brice Peyre, deputy chief of staff for Maloney. Goldwater will have many of its functions moved to the site of the former North General Hospital in Harlem, Peyre said.
“This institution would be a top-notch institution right here in our great city,” Maloney said.
Maloney said California’s Stanford University and Cornell University, in Ithaca, N.Y., have expressed interest in building at Roosevelt Island and that 400 new businesses could be created from the new university.
The congresswoman — whose district includes Astoria, Long Island City, Roosevelt Island and the Upper East Side — contended Roosevelt Island would be the best site for the university because of its location between western Queens and Manhattan. There is a subway stop on the island and tram service to Manhattan.
She said nearby Long Island City, in particular, has good public transportation and more coming with Sunnyside Yards being prepared for high-speed rail. It also has affordable office space and residential space as well as a new park being built in Queens Plaza.
The sentiment was echoed by Long Island City business leaders.
“We certainly hope they make the right choice, the smart choice to come to Roosevelt Island,” said David Brause, chairman of the Long Island City Business Improvement District.
Gayle Baron, president of Long Island City Partnership, said the about 7,000 businesses in the neighborhood are welcoming the university and want to deal with innovation.
“We can think of no other area that is as ideal,” Baron said.
Other sites in Queens have been suggested for Bloomberg’s initiative, including Sunnyside Yards and Willets Point, which is backed by advocacy group Coalition for Queens.
State Sen. Michael Gianaris (D-Astoria) said he believed Roosevelt Island was the better choice because of its proximity to Manhattan and the interest expressed by Stanford and Cornell.
“It’s a little bit late for new proposals at the 11th hour,” the senator said.
Reach reporter Rebecca Henely by e-mail at rhenely@cnglocal.com or by phone at 718-260-4564.
