08:28:51 | 2012-05-15
(New York, NY) — The narrow, two-mile-long section of land, known as Roosevelt Island, has been a quiet residential area of New York for a number of years. Numerous New York residents enjoy their peaceful existence on the island which is lies just off the coast of Long Island City. However, this peaceful residential community is about to see a great deal of change, as the area is set to be transformed into Silicon City; a Cornell University applied sciences tech campus.
Cornell is partnering with Israel’s Technion Institute of Technology to open the campus on the narrow island in 2017. The area, deemed Silicon City, will have the official titled of CornellNTYCTech and will be home to an estimated 3,300 students and 70 faculty members. While the new construction is an exciting leap forward for Cornell; the development which is the largest in the island’s history, promises major change for the 14,000 New Yorkers that already call the island home.
The new campus won’t be the only change on the island, transportation changes are expected to be made as well. Roosevelt Island currently has a single road connecting it to the rest of New York City; a bridge that connects the island to Queens and the F train shuttles are the only forms of transportation on and off this sliver of land. Additional transportation options will be needed to accommodate the island’s new addition, so ferry stops are being considered.
This isn’t the only transformation in the island’s history either. The area of land was once deemed “Welfare Island,” and was home to hospitals, low income housing and asylums. However, efforts were made to improve the area and luxury housing and a Riverwalk complex were completed to develop the island and bring in high-income residents.
The thousands of New Yorkers who proudly call the island home are having mixed reviews about the new development. While some are excited about welcoming Cornell into the community, others are not as optimistic. According to reports, many of the 800 residents, living in the island’s Coler-Goldwater Hospital will be forced to leave their home on Roosevelt Island to make room for the new campus. Whether island residents are looking forward to the new addition or not, those choosing to stay on Roosevelt Island are about to see some major changes in the area’s structure come 2017.
—Email rlorenzen@brokerpulse.com
