By Rebecca Henely
After Stanford University dropped out Friday of a city-run contest to build an Applied Sciences campus, Mayor Michael Bloomberg announced Cornell University and Technion-Israel Institute of Technology would be building a 2 million-square-foot graduate school at Roosevelt Island.
The mayor said Cornell and Technion’s bid had the largest amount of students, faculty and building space. He said their bid is expected to bring jobs and will act as a magnet for technology industry growth for the city.
“This is an endeavour with incredible potential,” Bloomberg said. “History will write that this is a game changing time in New York City.”
A university building at Roosevelt Island was heavily touted by western Queens officials, who believed a campus at Roosevelt Island could encourage technology startups and other growth in Long Island City.
“This is a tremendous investment in the future of our city,” said U.S. Rep. Carolyn Maloney (D-Astoria).
Reach reporter Rebecca Henely by e-mail at rhenely@cnglocal.com or by phone at 718-260-4564.
