To All New York Tech Students, Faculty, and Staff:

New York Institute of Technology continues to review sites in Long Island City and lower Manhattan as we look for ways to expand our New York City footprint. While negotiations with landlords and reviews of proposals during this phase tend to move slower than we'd prefer, we are still on track to open our new location for the fall 2021 semester. Even better, all of the sites we are reviewing offer much larger and more appropriate spaces for classrooms, research, and student life than we currently feature at 1855 Broadway. The new site will be of particular benefit to students and faculty in our engineering, computer science, biological and chemical sciences, architecture, and digital arts and design programs as we plan to offer dedicated lab space and state-of-the-art learning environments specifically catered to these disciplines.

Of the locations we are reviewing, Long Island City offers the most intriguing possibilities. This neighborhood is close to growing biotech, advanced manufacturing, and startup companies that will expand student internships and job opportunities upon graduation. It is our vision that New York Tech will, in fact, serve as a catalyst for developing this growing innovation hub. In addition, major corporations such as healthcare provider Centene and retail giant Macy's have leased space in Long Island City, demonstrating that this area also appeals to well-established brands.

A few of you have asked about safety in Long Island City. Borough-wide, violent crime is lower in Queens than in Manhattan. Overall, Queens is safer than 52 percent of U.S. cities whereas Manhattan is safer than 30 percent, according to statistics compiled by the New York City Mayor's Office. Civic leaders and others have assured us that the neighborhoods we are considering are safe. The Clery Report for nearby LaGuardia Community College is available online and bears this out. Regardless, New York Tech plans to offer students, faculty, and staff transportation to nearby transit hubs throughout the day and into the evening. In addition, we will offer additional security within our new facilities beyond what is currently available at 1855 Broadway.

To undergraduate students in their junior and senior years at our Manhattan campus, this expansion will have minimal impact on your current studies—you will have ample time to finish your degrees at our current location by June 2021. For first- and second-year students, we will ensure minimal disruption to your degree completion either at our new location or at Columbus Circle. We will update this information as we move closer to finalizing our location and which programs will move to our new New York City location and when.

It is important to remember that New York Tech is not leaving Columbus Circle. Even after the sale of 1849 and 1855 Broadway, we will still maintain our locations at 16 W. 61st Street and 26 W. 61st Street as well as the NYIT Auditorium on Broadway—this represents a significant portion of what we currently occupy in Manhattan. In these existing spaces, we can offer undergraduate- and graduate-level programs, certificates, and other professional credentials. Over the longer term, our decision to remain in these leased spaces will be determined by the success and viability of these programs.

We expect New York Tech's additional New York City location to be selected by the end of 2019 and will keep the community updated. We will also announce which programs will be offered at our new state-of-the-art campus once those decisions have been made. Please stay tuned for further information.

Sincerely,

Hank Foley, Ph.D.
President, New York Institute of Technology