Cornell University signed a pair of leases for office space in 570 Lexington Ave. in New York last week.
The School of Industrial Labor Relations leased roughly 39,000 square feet and Weill Cornell Medicine leased roughly 31,000 square feet in the building, according to an article in The Real Deal. The leases are both for 10 years.
“Our work in New York State is part of our being a land grant institution. We are not moving out of Ithaca,” said Mary Catt, media relations person for ILR. “It does not affect our Ithaca campus operations. This move is not related in any way to our presence in Ithaca.”
With the newly acquired property, the ILR school plans to conduct a variety of educational, training and technical assistant services to business, labor unions, government and civic organizations along with conducting research and public programs work and workplace challenges according to Catt. Weill Cornell Medicine plans to dedicate its space to graduate programs.
“ILR has had a presence since 1948 in New York City. That’s just 3 years after our school opened in Ithaca,” Catt said. “The new location will house ILR outreach. The New York City programs that ILR conducts are delivered to some 5,000 people every year.”
According to the Commercial Observer, the ILR school will occupy the 11th and 12th floors of the General Electric Building, a 50-story Art Deco skyscraper, while Weill Cornell Medicine will take up the entirety of the ninth and some of the 10th floor of the building.
The ILR school partnered with the Feil Organization, a management firm focused on real estate in the City, to secure the lease and rent this office space. David Turino, director of Feil’s leasing, and Mark Weiss and Robert Eisenberg of Cushman & Wakefield, a real estate company working for ILR, negotiated this deal, the Commercial Observer reported.
According to the Observer, Turino said Cornell is now the largest tenant of 570 Lexington Ave. and “will add great prestige to the 570 Ave. tenant roster.”
Brian Feil, the vice president of Feil’s leasing, said in a press release that the Ivy League is committed to “grow its many and diversified schools and graduate programs in New York City,” the Commercial Observer reported.
Cornell’s ILR branch in New York City will also relocate soon, as it currently occupies a building at 16 East 34th St. between Madison and East Avenues.
Students are looking forward to how Cornell will diversify in the future. Leah Rosner ’21, raised in New York City, said that “the Ivy League offers [so many] resources” that are “always available to you.” She plans to take advantage of the opportunities in her hometown in the future.
Likewise, Michelle Gery ’21 has corresponded with researchers in ILR’s building at 16 East 34th St. She said “having the office in New York City is very important” for ILR students and alumni. President Martha E. Pollack has advocated for Cornell’s presence in the city too.
“With its deep academic and cultural roots in Ithaca and its expanding presence in New York City, Cornell is at an exciting moment, with burgeoning intellectual collaborations across all its campuses,” she said on Cornell’s website.
Anu Subramaniam ’20 contributed reporting to this article.