Governor Kathy Hochul and New York City Mayor Eric Adams today unveiled the Science Park and Research Campus Kips Bay Master Plan for this first-of-its-kind life sciences career and education hub that will anchor the industry in New York. Arriving just over one year since SPARC Kips Bay was announced, the master plan unveils key project details, including a new site plan and conceptual design, a new model for education and job training pipelines, and updated economic impact projections showing how significantly it will further New York City’s role as a global leader in creating and attracting accessible jobs in life sciences, health care, and public health by creating a pipeline from local public schools to careers in these essential sectors. The project is expected to create more than 15,000 total jobs and generate $42 billion in economic impact. The plan is available here.
In addition to the Master Plan, the Hochul and Adams administrations also kicked off a new community taskforce to shape and steer the project’s vision and released a request for proposals for designers to engage on key public space, community infrastructure, and a pedestrian bridge for the project’s first phase.
“The SPARC Kips Bay Master Plan is New York’s road map to establishing a hub for innovation, job growth, and education in the life sciences right in the heart of Manhattan,” Governor Hochul said. “With a projected 15,000 jobs and $42 billion in economic impact over the next 30 years, SPARC Kips Bay will help to build on statewide efforts like New York’s transformative Life Science Initiative to grow 21st century businesses and jobs and ensure that the future of medicine starts in New York.”
New York City Mayor Eric Adams said, “It’s no secret that New York City has always been an epicenter for great talent and workforce alike and the SPARC Kips Bay campus will continue this legacy by creating 15,000 jobs right here in Kips Bay. This campus will bridge the next generation to the future, taking students New York City students of today directly into the economy of tomorrow with higher education opportunities through our academic partners at CUNY and internships in every level. Through true community engagement and public-private partnership to shape this project, the possibilities are endless for all New Yorkers.”
With new details and projections released in the Master Plan, SPARC Kips Bay is now expected to generate approximately $42 billion in economic impact over the next 30 years; create 15,000 jobs, including 3,000 permanent jobs in the life sciences sector; and transform an entire city block—with up to two million square feet of academic, public health, and life sciences space.
SPARC Kips Bay Master Plan: The SPARC Kips Bay Master Plan outlines key new project details including a new site plan and conceptual design of the transformation of this city block. Additional highlights of the SPARC Master Plan include:
- Transforming the Hunter College Brookdale Campus into a more public and inviting campus with active ground floor spaces, neighborhood serving retail, and public spaces for the community;
- A unique model for education and job training bringing together secondary and higher education with industry and public health institutions to connect New Yorkers to new career pathways through hands-on training at all stages; and
- Establishing a unified plan to implement the project that meets both the needs of the campus institutions and broader neighborhood.
Community Taskforce: In addition to the Master Plan, NYCEDC also unveiled the formation of the SPARC Kips Bay Community Taskforce, co-chaired by Councilmember Keith Powers and Community Board 6, to facilitate a substantive partnership with local stakeholders. The Taskforce will convene on a regular basis and engage elected leaders, civic advocates, residents, and local community partners.
Workforce Development Taskforce: NYCEDC and the Mayor’s Office of Talent and Workforce Development will also convene the SPARC Kips Bay Education, Training, and Workforce Development Taskforce alongside CUNY, New York City Department of Education, Office of Chief Medical Examiner, H+H, and citywide industry and workforce organizations to help shape the workforce opportunity at the future campus. The taskforce will inform new curriculum development to support the industries at SPARC Kips Bay, including new internships and other entry points, to leverage the co-location of education and public and private industry.
First Phase of Design RFP: NYCEDC is also releasing a RFP to procure a designer for the first phase of the project, including modern facilities for CUNY and DOE and long-overdue community infrastructure – notably one acre of new open space and improved public realm investment, neighborhood resiliency, and a new universally accessible pedestrian bridge at 25th Street.
Creation of Tech Forward Life Sciences Center: NYCEDC is also releasing a request for expressions of interest in Q1 2024 to solicit interest from academic, research, and newly formed consortia to establish a Tech Forward Life Sciences Center at SPARC Kips Bay.
SPARC Kips Bay will be anchored by new, modern facilities for students from the Hunter College School of Nursing and School of Health Professions, the CUNY Graduate School of Public Health and Health Policy, and the Borough of Manhattan Community College’s multiple health care programs. The hub will also feature:
- An H+H/Bellevue ambulatory care center that will offer screenings, same-day procedures, diagnostics, and preventative care – reducing average wait times for patients by up to 7 days;
- An H+H Nursing Advanced Practice Center that will serve H+H employees systemwide and allow CUNY students and others to simulate real life medical situations in an educational setting;
- A DOE FutureReady NYC high school providing hands-on and career connected learning in health care and sciences to prepare students for secondary education and careers in these growing sectors by leveraging partnerships with partner institutions;
- A new OCME Forensic Pathology Center, which will be a nation-leading training facility for forensic pathologists, with a 24/7, year-round operational schedule; and
- New life sciences office space, dry and wet labs, and translational research facilities that focus on growth trends in the industry like the use of machine learning for drug discovery.
SPARC Kips Bay is expected to enter into the city’s Uniform Land Use and Review Procedure in spring 2024, break ground in late 2025 and be completed by the end of 2031.
SPARC Kips Bay complements New York State’s $620 million Life Science Initiative, designed to spur the growth of a world-class life science research cluster in New York, as well as expand the state’s ability to commercialize this research and grow the economy. This multi-faceted initiative includes $320 million for strategic programs that attract new life science technologies to the state, promote critical public and private sector investment in emerging life science fields and create and expand life science-related businesses and employment throughout New York.
SPARC Kips Bay will continue this legacy of successful public-private partnerships to help New York grow its life sciences industry. Most recently, Mayor Adams and Governor Hochul announced alongside the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative plans for the Chan Zuckerberg Biohub New York, a new biomedical research hub in New York City that will leverage a nearly $300 million public-private investment to drive collaboration between leading research institutions and solve significant scientific challenges.
New York City Housing, Economic Development, and Workforce Deputy Mayor Maria Torres-Springer said, “We are moving full speed ahead with SPARC Kips Bay, a first-of-its-kind hub for jobs, workforce training and education in New York State that will create thousands of employment opportunities for New Yorkers while also generating research and treatments with global benefits. I want to thank all of our partners for their commitment to this bold initiative and to the generations of scientists, students, entrepreneurs and public servants whose work at SPARC Kips Bay will help accelerate the growth of life sciences in our city while advancing the health of New Yorkers and people around the world.”
NYCEDC President and CEO Andrew Kimball said, “Just over a year ago, we announced the vision for SPARC Kips Bay, a transformative project that will cement New York City as the global leader in the life sciences industry while building a more vibrant and inclusive economy. With the release of the master plan, the formation of the SPARC Kips Bay Community TaskForce and the Education, Training, and Workforce Development Task Force, and release of the design RFP, we are taking a major step forward in turning vision to reality by building a unique campus and ecosystem connecting DOE high school students as well as CUNY graduate and undergraduate students with the jobs of today and the future in the private sector life sciences industry and in key government health agencies. SPARC Kips Bay will not only generate enormous economic impact, create tens of thousands of jobs, update outdated city agency buildings, and create an industry pipeline for New Yorkers, but it will bring dramatic improvements to the public realm in Kips Bay.”
CUNY Chancellor Félix V. Matos Rodríguez said, “The thoughtful and comprehensive SPARC Kips Bay Master Plan is an exciting step forward as we work to bring together three CUNY schools and programs into a single campus to advance research, education and practice in the life sciences, health care and public health sectors and expand the college-to-career pipeline for thousands of CUNY students.”
New York City Department of City Planning Director and City Planning Commission Chair Dan Garodnick said, “The New York City region leads the country in life sciences,and with projects like this, it’s easy to see why. SPARC is a long-term investment in education, jobs, health care, and public space — a big win that will reverberate for decades to come. As our economy continues to evolve, it’s great to see the East Side of Manhattan become a center of global innovation. And with ‘City of Yes for Economic Opportunity,’ we’re going to help more of these important life science facilities open and expand in our city.”
Mayor’s Office of Talent and Workforce Development Executive Director Abby Jo Sigal said, “I am thrilled to see the city’s vision for career-connected learning and workforce development captured so perfectly in brick and mortar via the SPARC master plan released today. SPARC co-locates the full spectrum of public-private partners necessary to position New Yorkers for career success in health care and life sciences. I am excited by a future when a New York City public high school student can have a hands-on learning experience in a corporate life sciences lab and then decide to enroll in Hunter’s flagship nursing program, which includes gaining essential professional skills through on-the-job learning at a Health + Hospitals site. And that this all can happen without ever leaving the SPARC campus.”
New York City Chief Medical Examiner Dr. Jason Graham said, “As a world leader in forensic pathology with roots in the neighborhood that extend over a century, we are excited to take this next step in the SPARC Kips Bay project under the leadership of Mayor Adams and Governor Hochul, in collaboration with many inspiring partners. The emerging outline for SPARC Kips Bay promises to elevate our crucial operations in service of New Yorkers, while transforming the surrounding community with opportunities for young people to pursue careers in public health, health care, and the life sciences.”
New York City School Construction Authority President and CEO Nina Kubota said, “This bold project, spearheaded by Mayor Adams and Governor Hochul, showcases cross-agency cooperation and will transform an entire city block into a state-of-the-art hub for the life sciences industry. With a cutting-edge school within this life sciences and public health campus promises new and exciting opportunities for students venturing into careers within these thriving industries, the project will drive continued investment and economic activity for years to come.”
“New” New York Executive Director B.J. Jones said, “The SPARC master plan represents an exciting step forward, propelling our city into a new era of innovation and opportunity. With a vision for a dynamic ecosystem that integrates biotech companies, educational institutions, and healthcare facilities, the Adams Administration is building a bridge from education to real-world careers, empowering students and workers to thrive in the life sciences industry.”
Representative Jerry Nadler said, “With today’s announcement of the Kips Bay Master Plan, we are another step closer to making this transformational jobs and education hub for the life sciences a reality. I applaud the NYCEDC for their work to integrate the surrounding community in their proposal with the formation of a Community Taskforce that will engage with local leaders, advocates and residents to meet the needs of the neighborhood as this vision comes to life.”
Manhattan Borough President Mark Levine said, “The Science Park and Research Campus (SPARC) project will not only be an asset for Kips Bay—it will position New York City as a leader in life sciences, providing 15,000 jobs and creating academic opportunities for New Yorkers. I am excited to see SPARC enter a new phase with the release of this Master Plan and I look forward to further engagement with the Community Task Force.”
New York City Council Majority Leader Keith Powers said, “SPARC Kips Bay represents a transformational investment in making New York City the nation’s leading hub for life sciences and education. The benefits, ranging from new public space to thousands of good paying jobs and world-class health facilities, will be felt by New Yorkers across the entire city. I am excited to work with community and state partners to help advance the project and break ground in 2025.”
Manhattan Community Board 6 Chair Kyle Athayde said, “Manhattan Community Board 6 is delighted to congratulate New York City Mayor Eric Adams, New York Governor Kathy Hochul, the New York City Economic Development Corporation, and The City University of New York on the release of the SPARC Kips Bay Master Plan. CB6 advocated for a mechanism for community input as the project progresses, so we welcome the creation of the SPARC Kips Bay Community Task Force and we look forward to leading the task force in partnership with Council Member Keith Powers. CB6 will continue to advocate for the community on the Task Force so that SPARC Kips Bay is a resource that our community can be proud of.”
Building and Construction Trades Council of Greater New York President Gary LaBarbera said, “As New York continues to reinvigorate its economy, we must invest in development projects that will help New York City deepen its role as a leader in healthcare and life sciences infrastructure, creating thousands of family sustaining careers along the way. The SPARC Kips Bay plan drives New York’s leadership in research and scientific advancement forward with a public health and education hub that will also pave accessible paths to the middle class for our hardworking people, including the union workers who will help build it from the ground up. We applaud Mayor Adams and Governor Hochul for their continued commitment to driving forward these initiatives that will further economic growth and improve the lives of all New Yorkers.”
SOM Principal Keith O’Connor said, “SOM is proud of our work with NYCEDC to devise a master plan that integrates a diverse range of education, health care, and research programs into a vertical campus seamlessly connected to adjacent open spaces and healthcare facilities. Anchored on First Avenue, the fully resilient campus embraces the new SPARC Square and offers spectacular views of the East River. SPARC will welcome visitors, students and scientists with modern buildings, landscapes, and infrastructure that will support cutting-edge research for decades to come.”
