Rep. Maloney joins community & business leaders to tout benefits of Roosevelt Island site for new engineering school

(Long Island City, NY) -- Congresswoman Carolyn Maloney, State Senator Michael Gianaris, Long Island City Partnership President Gayle Baron, and business and community leaders in Queens today voiced their strong support for Applied Sciences NYC, a Bloomberg administration initiative to site a state-of-the-art applied sciences campus in New York City, and specifically for a City-owned site on Roosevelt Island and to provide the new engineering institution with up to $100 million in infrastructure investments.

In remarks delivered today, Congresswoman Maloney said, “An applied sciences and engineering facility on Roosevelt Island offers a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to spur western Queens’ transformation into a world-class hub of technology and entrepreneurship and to generate significant long-term job growth for the borough. The Long Island City central business district offers an ideal location for start-ups created by the new campus’ faculty, students, and graduates, featuring affordable and accessible space near convenient transportation and a growing residential community.  Those of us who represent western Queens or Roosevelt Island are thrilled with the enormous opportunities this could provide for our constituents, and have pledged to work together to land this groundbreaking initiative in our own backyard, where it will generate well-paying jobs.  The New York City Economic Development Corporation projects that a new or expanded applied sciences facility could have a multiplier effect and create more than 400 new businesses across the city, generating billions of dollars in new economic activity and creating tens of thousands of jobs.  These jobs will not only benefit academics and researchers; they will also benefit New Yorkers of all skill levels, as universities and technology businesses employ people in a diverse range of jobs and generally pay higher salaries to employees without college degrees than other sectors of the economy.

“In addition, Roosevelt Island’s proximity to western Queens makes it likely that this community will benefit most from the businesses spun off by a new campus there.  Roosevelt Island provides an idyllic setting for students and faculty, and offers proximity to new and existing businesses in Long Island City, Astoria, Sunnyside, and Woodside.  And start-ups would be able to join a growing core of science and engineering-based businesses and institutions in western Queens, including JetBlue, the RCN Corporation, Schick Technologies and the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, as well as a expanding center of film and television production.” 

State Senator Michael Gianaris said, “Roosevelt Island is the ideal location for this new facility because it complements western Queens' growing reputation as a hub of job growth, technology and entrepreneurship. Its close proximity to Long Island City, Sunnyside, Woodside and Astoria would allow students, faculty and visitors to easily travel to and from campus, prompting exponential growth in western Queens' economic development through job creation, revenue increases and new business incentives.”

Other elected officials submitted written statements about the proposal.  Queens Borough President Helen Marshall said, “An applied sciences facility located on Roosevelt Island could be the next best thing that happens to Long Island City. Such a campus, easily within reach of Queens by subway or the Roosevelt Island Bridge, would have enormous benefits attached to it. It would be fertile ground for growing leaders of tomorrow, create hundreds of jobs and generate millions in tax revenue. Local labor and businesses in Long Island City and beyond would be involved in the creation and operation of a university in a unique environment, while the campus received support, millions of dollars for infrastructure improvements and land from the City of New York.

“Long Island City has undergone a revolution in recent years with thousands of new housing units, retail activity and open space that makes it one of the most attractive waterfront vistas in New York City.  

“We’re calling for continued growth and renewal for Long Island City and all of New York City.  Interested schools can seize this opportunity, lead the way to future research and technology and have a presence in New York City that will generate worldwide interest.”

In a written statement, Assembly Member Catherine Nolan said, “The proposal to site a new institution of engineering and applied sciences in Roosevelt Island will bring significant benefits to residents and businesses in Long Island City and western Queens.  It will create good jobs, create a multiplier effect that will benefit existing businesses in the area, and reinforce the strong ties between western Queens and our neighbors on Roosevelt Island.”  

“In order for the technical campus on Roosevelt Island to be a success, there must be significant investment in Western Queens,” said Councilmember Jimmy Van Bramer, who attended today community meeting for local business leaders hosted by Congresswoman Maloney and the Long Island City Partnership.  “I support efforts to make Queens the borough of technical innovation, bringing well-paying jobs into the communities of Long Island City, Dutch Kills, Sunnyside, and Woodside.”

BACKGROUND:

Applied Sciences NYC, an initiative announced by Mayor Michael Bloomberg last summer, seeks proposals from a university or institution to build or expand a state-of-the-art applied sciences campus here in New York City, offering City-owned land, including a site on Roosevelt Island, and up to $100 million in infrastructure investments.  Many top-ranked schools from New York, around the country, and abroad have already expressed interest in competing for this unique opportunity, and the City has pledged to select a partner by year's end.  Elected, civic, and business leaders are now coming together around Applied Sciences NYC, which has the potential to unleash substantial economic growth in the coming years, especially in western Queens.