3 Metrotech Center purchased by NYU

NYU President Andrew Hamilton today announced that the University has purchased 3 MetroTech Center, a 350,000 square foot building adjacent to NYU’s Tandon School of Engineering. The purchase of the new facility will help support an ongoing $1 billion investment in Tandon to significantly advance engineering at NYU by recruiting 40 new full-time tenure track faculty, fueling groundbreaking research, and growing and modernizing its Downtown Brooklyn campus. The funding will fuel basic and applied research in key interdisciplinary areas of global import—secure wireless ecosystems and supply chains, health engineering, sustainable engineering, and data science to improve the human condition.

“The systems that will create a strong and resilient future are being invented right now at Tandon—and that’s why NYU is making a major investment in engineering,” said President Hamilton. “Engineering is absolutely vital to solving so many of society’s current challenges, from climate change to a secure and equitable digital ecosystem to treatment of cancer and other debilitating conditions. Advancing our engineering program requires space, and 3 MetroTech is perfectly situated to help support our ambitions for progress and expansion at Tandon’s Downtown Brooklyn campus and its productive, innovative collaborations with other areas of NYU, such as the medical corridor, the legal and business disciplines, and our global campuses, along with burgeoning partnerships with globally recognized innovators like KAIST.”

“From the heart of Downtown Brooklyn, NYU Tandon and its predecessors have made, and will continue to make, a global impact through research, alumni and education—from sensors deployed to monitor and protect urban environments to biosensors designed to detect health threats manufactured in the only nanofabrication cleanroom in Brooklyn. This commitment from NYU, built on the previous investment, will only further expand opportunities to reach across global borders and disciplines to address the pressing challenges of our time,” said Dean Jelena Kovačević. “It will also enable us to unleash tens of thousands of graduates who will be exceptionally well-equipped to solve complex problems.”

NYU’s $1 billion comprises $600 million in previous funding with additional planned future funding of another $400 million in operating budget growth plus capital investments in new and renovated facilities (including the purchase and fit out of 3 Metrotech). The funding will allow Tandon to increase its tenured and tenure-track faculty by nearly 50% with a particular focus in key disciplines for which Tandon is globally recognized and to maximize space for research, study, student life, and collaboration.

Planning for the specific uses for 3 MetroTech is in its earliest stages, but will build on additional plans for renovating 6 MetroTech—Rogers Hall—and lab spaces in the medical corridor in Manhattan, all of which will enable expansion of new interdisciplinary, collaborative lab and research spaces for robotics, biomedical engineering, chemical and biomolecular engineering, and nanofabrication as well as space to accommodate large growth in experiential learning opportunities.

Since the affiliation of NYU and the Polytechnic Institute of Brooklyn, which came together to ultimately form NYU Tandon, the school has:

Risen 47 spots in the U.S. News & World Report rankings since 2009.
Experienced a 441%-percent increase in research funding over the last decade.
Seen a 170% and 87% increase in undergraduate and graduate applications over the last five years.
Increased in the percentage of undergraduate women enrolled to 46% in the class of 2023.
“The investment in Tandon is rooted in its record of success, and its aim is to sustain and further propel its academic trajectory,” said President Hamilton.

Tandon’s advancement will continue to build upon its established strengths in several areas including:

Secure Wireless and Supply Chains: Tandon has long been at the forefront of two distinct fields, wireless technology and cybersecurity, and is home to both NYU WIRELESS, the world’s first wireless-focused academic research center to combine engineering, computer science, and medicine, and the NYU Center for Cybersecurity, an interdisciplinary academic center focused on leading edge research, teaching, and scholarship geared towards real-world hardware and software technology and policies.

Increasingly, these fields are leading to a growing body of interdisciplinary discovery, education, and innovation to establish more secure and resilient infrastructure that reflects the needs of the 21st century. New investment will further Tandon’s development of secure, resilient and energy-conscious networks that will power everything from remote robotic surgery and telehealth, to public safety, and mixed reality education & entertainment while countering threats to our democracy and the security, safety, and privacy of millions of people worldwide.

Improve Health and the Human Condition: As the fields of bioengineering and machine learning become increasingly prominent facets of healthcare and society, this investment will be used to boost the health engineering and innovative data science research already underway at the school. Tandon’s biomedical engineering collaborations across NYU’s renowned medical corridor — including NYU Langone, NYU Grossman, the Rory Meyers College of Nursing, NYU College of Dentistry, and the NYU School of Global Public Health — combined with leading research along the entire data science pipeline, from data collection to data cleaning to processing, analytics and prediction, are leading to meaningful improvements in quality of care and quality and life. New investment will enable Tandon to advance its areas of focus in biomedical imaging, synthetic biology, neuroengineering, and smart wearables, and improve public health, efficiency and equitability of artificial intelligence systems, and life in global urban communities.

Engineer a Sustainable Planet: NYU’s investment will enable the ongoing modernization and expansion of interdisciplinary chemical engineering labs that will power the newly-announced Sustainable Engineering Initiative, dedicated to pursuing innovations in decarbonized and sustainable energy generation systems, transportation, manufacturing; waste treatment and recovery; emission and pollution mitigation; remediation of at-risk environments; and adaptations necessitated by climate change or environmental contamination. Key priorities will include exploring more efficient and effective solar cells and decarbonizing the chemical manufacturing industry and advancing partnerships with climate hard-tech startups to speed commercialization of promising green technologies.

“The expansion of NYU Tandon is an exciting investment in education, engineering, and the future economic development of Downtown Brooklyn,” said NYCEDC President and CEO Andrew Kimball. “The ability of higher education institutions to create a skilled workforce ensures that New York City will continue to be a leader across all sectors, bringing about new industry growth and new businesses.”

“On behalf of Brooklyn, we’re so proud to be NYU Tandon’s home and the site of the school’s expanding reach to inspire more and more people to do good,” said Brooklyn Borough President Antonio Reynoso. “Brooklyn is home to powerfully inquisitive minds and people young and old who want to impart long-lasting change on their communities. Engineering equips students with a way of thinking based in problem-solving and progress, and I’m excited to see all the innovation that will flow from this expanded center for learning. Thank you to NYU President Andrew Hamilton for continuing to grow roots right here in the best borough in the city, Brooklyn.”

“Downtown Brooklyn is a national hub of higher education and innovation. It’s exciting to see NYU Tandon School of Engineering permanently expand its footprint to help Brooklyn lead in solving the greatest challenges of our day,” said New York City Council Member Lincoln Restler.

“Congratulations to NYU Tandon on their new facility and investment which will expand their engineering program. We are fortunate to have this premier academic institution conducting groundbreaking research and engineering right here in Downtown Brooklyn,” said Assemblymember Jo Anne Simon. “Not only will this investment bring new jobs to the area, but it will help NYU tackle complex global problems from climate change to public health issues to cybersecurity.”

“I applaud NYU for their newest investment in Brooklyn with their purchase of 3 MetroTech Center and their groundbreaking $1 billion allocation into advancing the field of engineering,” said New York State Senator Andrew Gounardes. “This expansion of NYU Tandon’s engineering programs will both boost our borough’s economy and provide further opportunities for students to enjoy all Brooklyn has to offer, and I look forward to working alongside President Hamilton to welcome this expansion to NYU Tandon’s Downtown Brooklyn campus.”

“We applaud NYU’s continued and significant investment in NYU Tandon School of Engineering – signifying Downtown Brooklyn as an important NYU campus and as a center for education, innovation, and research of global significance” said Regina Myer, president of Downtown Brooklyn Partnership. “Downtown Brooklyn has experienced record employment and industry growth in recent years, and NYU Tandon in particular fosters strong industry partnerships that benefit local businesses and produce a talented, prepared, and tech-savvy workforce. We look forward to continuing our work with NYU to create and even greater hub of entrepreneurship and innovation.”

“The Brooklyn Chamber of Commerce applauds New York University’s extraordinary investment in expanding the NYU Tandon campus in Downtown Brooklyn” said Randy Peers, President & CEO of the Brooklyn Chamber of Commerce. “Brooklyn has become the creative engine for NYC’s economy, and investments that expand capacity in the many fields of engineering that NYU Tandon specializes in, will create unprecedented opportunities for students, faculty and the research community.”

“National Grid has a long-standing partnership with NYU Tandon in pursuit of expanding STEM education and advancing innovative and sustainable green technologies. The University’s growth will offer opportunities to bring together diverse engineering minds to advance a fair and equitable energy transition for all. As we continue to advance the clean energy future it is critical to scale a diverse workforce and we’re committed to providing opportunities to train and equip individuals with the skills they need to succeed,” said Rudy Wynter, President National Grid, NY.

“We congratulate NYU Tandon on its ongoing investment and expansion at Brooklyn Commons, a diverse and vibrant campus now undergoing an exciting revitalization effort solidifying its place as the center of Downtown Brooklyn,” said Callie Haines, Executive Vice President, Brookfield Properties. “We look forward to continue working with NYU and all local stakeholders to support a thriving Downtown community for world-class education, business and culture.”