Mayor Bloomberg isn’t the only one with a gleam in his eye when it comes to plans to build an applied sciences campus in the five boroughs. Albany wants to help the mayor get the project (a shining achievement in a troubled third-term) under way before he’s out of office.
To that end, the state economic development council Governor Cuomo put together to promote economic growth in New York City has declared the campus a “priority project.” Crain’s New York reports that the council of two dozen leaders in business, labor, and government plans on asking Albany for $40 million.
None of that money has been earmarked for the campus specifically, but the state might be able to assist in other ways.
For example, the council is asking for state support to accelerate the reviews and approval process for the campus or campuses. If Stanford or Cornell are the winning bidders, that might help expedite plans to build on Roosevelt Island as the state controls the Roosevelt Island Operating Corp. Out-of-state institutions also require state approval for accreditation to grant students degrees in New York.
Gov. Cuomo’s council might also be able to extend a hand to city natives. The council’s report cites downtown Brooklyn near NYU-Poly as an “opportunity zone” for economic growth. For its tech campus proposal, NYU wants to build at 370 Jay St., in a city building leased by the MTA. According to Crain’s:
“The strategic plan says that “an opportunity exists to either expand the Polytechnic campus and/or accommodate expanded entrepreneurial uses at 370 Jay St.” This could be good news for NYU as it could signal the MTA might be persuaded to move its equipment there out of the way.”
Two campus solution is the new two state solution?
