Stony Brook University Leading Climate Solutions Center Project on Governors Island NYC
Stony Brook University has propelled itself to the forefront of a massive development project on Governors Island in New York City that will convene leaders in research and academia to study climate science.
New York City and The Trust for Governors Island announced Stony Brook University as their choice to lead the climate solutions center, New York Climate Exchange, on April 24. Academic and nonprofit research institutions had been competing for the position since a proposal process began in June 2021.
“We are honored, excited, and proud to partner with the City of New York to build this historic center that will cement New York City as the world leader on climate change, the most pressing issue of our time,” Stony Brook University President Maurie McInnis said in a statement. “Up until now, the development of climate solutions has been siloed, with world leaders separate from expert scientists separate from the on-the-ground green workforce.
McInnis noted that the new center will bring together “academic, government, and business communities to make the Climate Exchange the center of research, innovation, education and collaboration to address this global crisis.”
New York Climate Exchange is projected to create more than 7,000 jobs among its research, education, and cultural facilities across 400,000 square-feet of the Island, which will have net-positive sustainability features.
Stony Brook University also expects to serve 600 postsecondary students, 4,500 K-12 students, 6,000 workforce trainees, and 250 faculty and researchers at the climate solutions center once it is fully operational. The leading State University of New York (SUNY) school on Long Island has chosen many partnering institutions to assist in the undertaking of this large endeavor, including Georgia Institute of Technology, Pace University, Pratt Institute and others.
“This first-of-its-kind project will make New York City a global leader in developing solutions for climate change while creating thousands of good-paying green jobs for New Yorkers and infusing $1 billion into our city’s economy,” Adams said in a statement. “Where some people see challenges, New Yorkers see opportunities, and this team and this project are leading the charge.”
The project will offer arts and cultural activities, a graduate fellowship program, an undergraduate semester abroad program, a tech program with Harbor School in New York City, and competitively-award research opportunities all geared toward climate science.
The project’s groundbreaking will be in 2025, and construction will be completed in 2028, according to Skidmore, Owings & Merrill (SOM), the project’s architect. It is being partially funded by The Simons Foundation and Bloomberg Philanthropies, who donated a total of $150 million. The construction budget is $710 million.
McInnis will hold a town hall meeting for the community to learn more about the Governors Island project on Tuesday, April 25 from noon to 1 p.m. at the main campus’ Charles B. Wang Center theater, with livestream gatherings also taking place at Stony Brook Medicine’s MART Lobby and Stony Brook Southampton’s Duke Lecture Hall. It will be followed by a celebration at the Academic Mall. The livestream can also be viewed at stonybrook.edu/live.
