The University has Completed Nearly $1 Billion in Infrastructure Since May 2019, Supporting Capital Work at 21 Colleges
Planning Underway for Additional 74 Projects with $807 Million Investment
CUNY Chancellor Félix V. Matos Rodríguez (center), College of Staten Island Interim President Timothy G. Lynch (third from left), CUNY Executive Vice Chancellor & Chief Operating Officer Hector Batista (right) and others on the track at College of Staten Island.
The City University of New York today announced the completion of 130 infrastructure projects since May 2019, when Chancellor Félix V. Matos Rodríguez began his tenure at the helm of the nation’s largest urban university. This represents a $985 million investment in the University’s infrastructure at 21 colleges, about 90% of which is state funding and 10% city funding. An additional 74 projects, projected to cost $807 million in mostly state funds and including projects across the remaining four CUNY campuses, are in the planning stages.
“We have been uplifting New Yorkers for 175 years but CUNY’s aging buildings need a little love and attention,” said Chancellor Matos Rodríguez. “Alongside exciting announcements that expand the University’s footprint across the city, we have prioritized the critical maintenance work that will keep our historic campuses functioning smoothly and provide our students, faculty and staff with state-of-the-art facilities that support innovation and learning. We thank Governor Hochul and our State legislators for their strong support of CUNY’s varied capital needs.”
“Boilers and HVAC systems may not appear to be compelling matters, but when they are not functioning properly, it impacts our students, staff and faculty,” said Executive Vice Chancellor & Chief Operating Officer Hector Batista. “CUNY is committed to maintaining its 300 buildings at 25 campuses, completing and planning infrastructure work both big and small.”
The completed projects include 45 general renovations; 33 heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) upgrades; 17 health and safety projects; 14 roof replacements and repairs; 11 electrical upgrades; five window washings and replacements; and three bathroom upgrades for accessibility in compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). The remaining two completed projects are the first phase of renovations to Baruch College’s historic Lawrence and Eris Field Building at 17 Lexington Avenue, and the Cooperman/Baker Walkway connecting Hunter College’s Baker Theatre Building to the college’s East Building.
Some of the projects included:
- $42 million reconstruction of the entire electrical system across the Queensborough Community College campus, which had previously suffered from a failure of seven transformers
- $16.5 million upgrade of all existing bathrooms at Borough of Manhattan Community College to be ADA compliant, and constructing additional bathrooms on the campus to meet the needs of the expanded student population
- $15.2 million upgrade of fire and security alarms at Brooklyn College to meet the increased demands of expanded buildings across the campus
- $10 million modernization of the Schiff House Daycare Center at The City College of New York, first built in 1912 with a stone exterior and wooden interior
- $9 million boiler replacement in LaGuardia Community College’s M Building
- $6.5 million upgrade to the Variable Frequency Drive (VFD) cooling tower at CUNY Graduate Center, located in the landmarked B. Altman & Company Building constructed in 1905
- $6.4 million renovation of three teaching labs at Lehman College, spanning 3,889 square feet
Among the projects in the works is an ongoing $3.8 million reconstruction of two miles of sidewalk on the College of Staten Island campus, which the Chancellor toured during his visit to the college along with a new track on the campus being overhauled at a cost of $7.3 million.
“To see the improvements these capital projects are making on our campuses across CUNY, and here at the College of Staten Island, is striking,” said College of Staten Island Interim President Timothy G. Lynch. “Our students are interacting with state-of-the-art facilities, from labs and classrooms to competition fields of play and areas of egress. We will continue to work with CUNY leadership and State and City agencies to ensure our campus meets the needs of our vast community.”
With 300 individual buildings comprising 29 million square feet across the University’s 25 colleges, CUNY maintains the largest urban system of public higher education facilities in the country.
In 2021, the University tapped Mohamed Attalla to serve as vice chancellor for facilities planning, construction and management. An award-winning construction and facilities veteran, Attalla also serves as executive director of the City University Construction Fund and brings three decades of experience to the role.
The City University of New York is the nation’s largest urban public university, a transformative engine of social mobility that is a critical component of the lifeblood of New York City. Founded in 1847 as the nation’s first free public institution of higher education, CUNY today has seven community colleges, 11 senior colleges and seven graduate or professional institutions spread across New York City’s five boroughs, serving over 243,000 undergraduate and graduate students and awarding 55,000 degrees each year. CUNY’s mix of quality and affordability propels almost six times as many low-income students into the middle class and beyond as all the Ivy League colleges combined. More than 80 percent of the University’s graduates stay in New York, contributing to all aspects of the city’s economic, civic and cultural life and diversifying the city’s workforce in every sector. CUNY’s graduates and faculty have received many prestigious honors, including 13 Nobel Prizes and 26 MacArthur “Genius” Grants. The University’s historic mission continues to this day: provide a first-rate public education to all students, regardless of means or background.
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