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Council Member Dinowitz questions CUNY officials on Allied Health and Sciences Building project
0:42:16
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136 sec
Council Member Eric Dinowitz inquires about the discrepancy between the executive capital commitment plan's allocation of $6.5 million and CUNY's stated need of $150 million for the Allied Health and Sciences Building project. CUNY officials explain the current funding is for demolition and site preparation, while advocating for additional funds to complete the full project.
- The $6.5 million allocation is specifically for demolishing the existing structure and preparing the site.
- CUNY is seeking $150 million in total funding for the complete project.
- The project requires securing city funding to unlock matching state funding.
Eric Dinowitz
0:42:16
I just want to follow-up on the capital projects, because it was mentioned in chair Brandon's questions.
0:42:22
You should know your successor, Daisy, is doing a fantastic job advocating for the for the allied health and science
0:42:37
I will remain neutral on that.
0:42:38
That's a no win thing for me to respond to.
0:42:41
But the executive capital commitment plan includes 5,000,000 in fiscal twenty twenty five for the Allied Health and Sciences Building, four point five million of which was added in the executive plan, the total five year is 6,500,000.0.
0:42:54
And in your testimony, you used the number a hundred and $50,000,000.
0:42:59
Can you talk a little bit about the discrepancy as well as of course the scope of the project and the timeline for that project?
0:43:50
And and do you have a timeline for the completion of the entire project?
0:43:54
Of the demolition?
0:43:56
Of the demolition and construction of the building.
0:44:21
That's right.
0:44:21
That's right.
0:44:22
And I will once again say I'm reminded of that because Daisy's doing a fantastic job advocating for the college.
0:44:29
You left it in good hands.
Félix Matos Rodríguez
0:42:31
Oh, also certainly got an upgrade in his presidency.
0:42:35
Yeah.
0:43:06
So let me turn to our COO who's been deep in the numbers on this particular case.
0:44:14
And as you know, we need to secure the the city side so that we can unlock state funding for the part of the project too.
0:44:31
Yes.
Hector Batista
0:43:11
Yeah.
0:43:12
So thank you for the question, chair.
0:43:15
The $6,500,000 is really to demolish the assistant site that's there.
0:43:22
Recently, because of some work that the the university has done in in partnership with the local with the private owner, we we we there was a park that was fixed there, and so now we've we have the potential of squatters being in that space.
0:43:36
There's all kinds of bad situations that could happen there.
0:43:40
So and the building has some some structural issues.
0:43:43
So we're gonna demolish the the space and then fully pave it in preparation for a future project, which we're advocating for.
0:43:58
Well, the construction of the building, we we obviously hope that through your good offices and others here, we were able to secure the hundred and $50,000,000 that we need.
0:44:06
But we think this is a step in order to secure that space, which is really becoming a real problem for the local community.