For Immediate Release:
Friday, January 20, 2012
N-190, 2011-12
Contact: John Beckman / Kathleen Hamilton
212.998.6848 / 718.260.3792
john.beckman@nyu.edu / Hamilton@poly.edu
NYU-POLY OPENS NEW SPACE IN METROTECH CENTER
City Leaders Join NYU-Poly and NYU Presidents for
Ribbon-Cutting on 120,000 Sq Ft of New Academic Space in Brooklyn
NYU-Poly President Jerry M. Hultin and NYU President John Sexton today officiated at a ribbon-cutting to
celebrate the opening of a new space for NYU-Poly in MetroTech Center. Brooklyn Borough President Marty Markowitz,
Deputy Mayor for Economic Development Robert K. Steel, New York State Senator Daniel Squadron, New York State
Assemblymember Joan Millman, New York City Councilmember Gale Brewer, New York City Councilmember Stephen
Levin, Forest City Ratner CEO and Chair Bruce Ratner, National Grid for New York President Kenneth Daly, Downtown
Brooklyn Partnership President Tucker Reed, and DUMBO BID Executive Director Alexandria Sica were among those
joining in the celebration of the important new expansion in Brooklyn.
The 120,000 sq ft of newly leased space in 2 MetroTech Center and 15 MetroTech Center is part of both NYU’s
NYU 2031: NYU in NYC city-wide plan for academic space development and NYU-Poly’s capital plan, called the i2e
(invention, innovation, and entrepreneurship) Campus Transformation, which is focused on attracting top-level faculty
and high-achieving students and firmly establishing NYU-Poly as a world-class center of applied science, technology and
engineering.
NYU-Poly President Hultin said, “NYU-Poly’s new leased space has helped us attract world-class faculty while
expanding research opportunities for our current faculty. This expansion also illustrates the strength that NYU is bringing
to our institution, and to Brooklyn. Together, we are creating a magnet for vibrant student life and scholarship, and for
technology-driven organizations.”
NYU President Sexton said, “The enthusiasm Brooklyn has shown to our University is fully reciprocated: our
growing ties to Brooklyn are a source of great excitement to our students and our faculty, and it’s wonderful to be a part
of Brooklyn’s growth. This new space will be a real boost in NYU-Poly’s steady, ongoing efforts at achieving new levels of
academic excellence.”
Brooklyn Borough President Markowitz said, “The new leased space for labs, classrooms and faculty offices at
2 and 15 MetroTech Center is another significant step in NYU-Poly’s expansion in—and commitment to—Downtown
Brooklyn,” said Brooklyn Borough President Marty Markowitz. “I always like to say that our Downtown has more college
students than Cambridge, Massachusetts, and NYU-Poly is further solidifying Brooklyn’s reputation as a center for higher
learning by turning its campus into one that, in President Hultin’s words, ‘exudes innovation, invention, and
entrepreneurship.’ Bravo to NYU-Poly on its new space, and hopefully soon we will be congratulating them again for being
selected to open an applied science campus at 370 Jay Street.”
Deputy Mayor Steel said, “New York City is America’s largest college town, and our institutions of higher learning
are a significant economic competitive advantage for the City, attracting and training the talent that businesses need to
grow and thrive. On behalf of Mayor Bloomberg, congratulations to NYU-Poly and NYU on the expansion of NYU-Poly’s
presence in Downtown Brooklyn.”
The expansion into MetroTech will allow NYU-Poly to expand its research labs, accommodate additional faculty,
and create additional classrooms, while freeing up space in current facilities for renovation and potential redevelopment.
The space at 2 MetroTech Center will be the new hub for the entire Computer Science and Engineering (CSE)
department and part of the Electrical and Computer Engineering (ECE) department. NYU-Poly will have a separate
entrance on Lawrence Street, where the lobby will feature a full-wall graphic of the Brooklyn Bridge rendered entirely in
ASCII type (computer code). The 10th floor space features faculty offices, computational labs, and work stations for
post-docs and student researchers, among other facilities. The ninth floor will soon undergo renovations to create large
capacity classrooms and research space, including the Center for Advanced Technology in Telecommunications, and the
Wireless Internet Center for Advanced Technology (WICAT) laboratory–the largest National Science Foundation-funded
industry/academic cooperative research center. Architect for the project is Beyer Blinder Belle Architects and Planners.
The space at 15 MetroTech Center will be occupied by administrative offices, including the President’s and
Provost’s Offices, among others.
Now in the second year of its 10-year campus transformation to upgrade its facilities, NYU-Poly already has
completed several i2e initiatives, including: the building of the new Center of Innovation for Technology and
Entertainment (CITE), made possible by a $2 million New York state grant, on the ground floor of the Bern Dibner Library
Building; the renovation of the main corridor of Rogers Hall, complete with a high-tech information hub; and significant
upgrades to the information systems infrastructure.
Images of the new spaces can be found and downloaded at
http://research.poly.edu/~resourcespace/?c=540&k=a2fd95d381. Photos should be credited “NYU-Poly”
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About NYU 2031: NYU in NYC
NYU 2031: NYU in NYC, is a strategic framework for growth, aiming to be a thoughtful, comprehensive, city-wide vision for
thinking about how to keep the University moving forward academically while respecting the communities and the city in
which we make our home. For more information about NYU 2031 please log onto www.nyu.edu/nyu-in-nyc .
About New York University
New York University is located in the heart of Greenwich Village. Founded in 1831, it is one of America’s foremost research
universities and a member of the selective Association of American Universities. It is one of the largest private universities,
it is a leader in attracting international students and scholars in the U.S, and it sends more students to study abroad than
any other U.S. college or university. Through its 18 schools and colleges, NYU conducts research and provides education in
the arts and sciences, law, medicine, business, dentistry, education, nursing, the cinematic and performing arts, music and
studio arts, public administration, social work, and continuing and professional studies, among other areas.
About Polytechnic Institute of New York University (NYU-Poly)
Polytechnic Institute of New York University (formerly Polytechnic University), an affiliate of New York University, is a
comprehensive school of engineering, applied sciences, technology and research with some 4,500 students, and is rooted
in a 158-year tradition of invention, innovation and entrepreneurship: i2e. The institution, founded in 1854, is the nation’s
second-oldest private engineering school. In addition to its main campus in New York City at MetroTech Center in
downtown Brooklyn, it also offers programs at sites throughout the region and around the globe. Globally, NYU-Poly has
programs in Israel, China and is an integral part of NYU's campus in Abu Dhabi. For more information, visit www.poly.edu.