Two Great Institutions Team to Create New Health Complex: Hunter College & Memorial Sloan-Kettering
By Erica Anderson & Valentina Cordero
Mayor Michael Bloomberg, in conjunction with Hunter College President Jennifer Raab and Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center (MSKCC) President and CEO Craig Thompson announced a new healthcare facility and nursing school, representing continued advancement in science and health research and teaching. The plan includes construction of two new science and health professions buildings on the Upper East Side of Manhattan.
“Our coming together is a testament to our history of fruitful collaboration and amazing science happening at both our institutions,” Hunter College President Jennifer Raab said.
The new 750,000-square-foot cancer care facility will allow MSKCC to develop innovative outpatient treatment programs.
“This is an extraordinary opportunity for patients,” said Thompson.
CUNY Hunter College will build a 336,000-square-foot science and health professions building. The goal is to upgrade the college’s nursing and science facilities in support of its strong academic programs. “More than ever, Hunter is a science powerhouse,” Raab said.
The New York City Economic Development Corporation, headed by Seth Pinsky, predicts that the projects will create 3,200 construction jobs and 830 permanent jobs. “For CUNY this project is not just about a new building; it’s also about economic development and creating new jobs in the science and health professions field,” said Vice Chancellor for Facilities Planning, Construction & Management Iris Weinshall.
The projected cost for the new CUNY facility is $450 million, and is expected to open its doors by 2018.
The city will sell the lot on East 73rd Street and FDR Drive to MSKCC for $215 million, making it “easily one of the largest real estate transactions the city has ever been involved in,” according to Bloomberg. The sanitation garage that used to occupy that space was demolished in 2008, and its replacement will be erected in place of Hunter’s current School of Nursing on East 25th Street and First Avenue.
Raab, who provided the leadership and creativity to engineer the “swap” of real estate parcels, called the new endeavor a “transformative project” which will help to make the “Decade of Science” a reality. “At its core, this project is about creating the ability to expand the health and science partnerships between two extraordinary institutions,” Raab said.
Representatives from both institutions commented on the benefits of the proximity of the new site to their main centers of operation. Hunter students will no longer have to commute between the two campuses. For MSKCC, patient care can be increasingly streamlined and made more widely available while lowering costs.
Mayor Bloomberg said that this initiative represents not only an ambitious project, but also a move forward for the City of New York. “Thanks to our innovative approach to economic development, today’s announcement is yet another step towards making New York City home to the world’s most talented workforce,” Bloomberg said. “Not only will these two great institutions play a critical role in creating great jobs in one of the city’s growing industries, but they usher in the innovative and medical advancements of tomorrow.” #
