School Will Create 563 New Seats In District Two Through Unique Public-Private Partnership Between The School Construction Authority, The New York Foundling Charitable Corporation, and The Rudin Family
New York Foundling To Sell Headquarters and Use Proceeds to Begin Construction of New Charter School in the Bronx
Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg and Schools Chancellor Joel I. Klein today joined with the New York Foundling Charitable Corporation and the Rudin Family to announce that the longtime Greenwich Village headquarters of New York Foundling would be transformed into an elementary school serving the children of Manhattan’s District Two. Working with the Rudin Family, which is overseeing the development of St. Vincent’s hospital nearby, the School Construction Authority and New York Foundling reached an agreement in which the new school will occupy the lower six floors of the building while New York Foundling will maintain offices in the upper floors. New York Foundling will use the proceeds from the sale to build a new home in Yonkers for its world-renowned pediatric center—which treats more than 130 of New York City’s neediest children. Additional funds will be used to reduce the caseloads of its social workers caring for children in foster care and to serve as a down payment for the construction of New York Foundling’s new charter school in the Mott Haven neighborhood of the Bronx.
“The partnership with New York Foundling and the Rudin Family builds on our successful efforts to create new schools and add seats in overcrowded areas across the City like lower Manhattan,” Mayor Bloomberg said. “From the new annex opened last year at PS 234 to the Battery Park City school and Beekman school projects, downtown neighborhoods have benefited tremendously from the public-private partnerships and other innovative solutions we’ve used to create seats for students who need them.”
“This is great news for District Two families,” Chancellor Klein said. “With more than 560 new seats available for elementary school students, this new school will have a tremendous positive impact on schools in Greenwich Village and elsewhere in District Two.”
“This project exemplifies our ability to act swiftly and creatively to secure needed school seats,” Sharon Greenberger, President of the School Construction Authority, said. “This is a true public/private initiative that benefits the entire community.”
“When it came to our decision to sell our building, we could not think of a more perfect solution,” said Bill Baccaglini, Executive Director of the New York Founding Charitable Corporation. “Not only will this new school fill the huge need for more classroom space in this community, this project echoes our own 140-year mission of providing for New York City’s children.”
“Greenwich Village has long been searching for creative ways to reduce overcrowding in classrooms,” Council Speaker Christine C. Quinn said. “By transforming the Foundling's old headquarters into a brand-new public school, we are taking a significant step towards addressing that critical concern. This is fantastic news for the community and a great example of what can be accomplished through innovative and responsible development.”
“To change the persistent problems of school overcrowding, we’ve got to start planning and siting schools to match the pace of residential growth, which is why I commend the Rudin Family for committing to this important new school while still preserving services from the Foundling Hospital,” Manhattan Borough President Scott M. Stringer said.
“Throughout the past year of our work in Greenwich Village, we heard concerns from the elected officials, community, and nearby PS 41 about the problem of overcrowding in the community’s public schools. So when this opportunity presented itself, it was a clear win-win for everyone involved,” said William C. Rudin, President of Rudin Management. “We have always maintained an unwavering commitment to listening and responding to the community’s concerns. We are thrilled that the chance arrived to address one of this city’s greatest concerns: the education of our children.”
After New York Foundling put its building up for sale earlier this year, the Rudin Family approached the School Construction Authority about the possibility of creating a school in the building. In the course of re-developing St. Vincent’s, the Rudin Family and project partner St. Vincent’s Catholic Medical Centers received extensive feedback from the Greenwich Village community concerning school overcrowding. The Rudin family, with the School Construction Authority, developed and proposed the concept of transforming the bottom six floors of the building into a new school while allowing New York Foundling to continue to headquarter its offices in the same building.
“We are pleased that as part of our effort to build a modern, green hospital, our partners, the Rudin Family, were able to clear a path for the development of a new public school to serve Greenwich Village and the West Side of Manhattan,” said Henry Amoroso, President and CEO of Saint Vincent’s Catholic Medical Centers. “The Sisters of Charity, who founded both St. Vincent’s and Foundling here in Greenwich Village—the former more than 150 years ago—have dedicated their lives to healthcare and education. It is fitting that as we look to a new hospital, this effort has also provided for the education of our young children.”
“This is terrific news for all the parties involved, but most importantly for the school children of Greenwich Village,” Congressman Jerrold Nadler said.
“School overcrowding is an impediment to learning and I commend the School Construction Authority, the New York Foundling Charitable Corporation, and the Rudin Family for working together to address this issue in the Village.”
“My constituents are all too aware of the pressing need for additional classroom seats, as many of our elementary schools now operate beyond capacity,” New York State Senator Tom Duane said. “It is a positive step that the New York City School Construction Authority has committed to create a new, locally-zoned elementary school at 17th Street and Sixth Avenue, and I am thankful for the Rudin Family’s role in securing this site.”
“Community Board 2 in Manhattan has been working with local parents on the issue of school overcrowding during the last year, and in the process we’ve heard from hundreds of parents, educators, and students about the need for new locally-zoned schools. Most of our schools are over capacity, so the announcement of a new locally-zoned elementary school represents a great day for public education in our community,” said Brad Hoylman, Chairman of Manhattan Community Board Number Two, which has advocated for measures to relieve overcrowding in the area. “We are extremely grateful to our local elected officials, Chancellor Klein, and the School Construction Authority for hearing our concerns, and sincerely thank the Rudin Family and St. Vincent’s Hospital for demonstrating their commitment to the local community and helping make this new school a reality.”
As part of the proposal, the Rudin Family worked with the School Construction Authority to determine whether the New York Foundling headquarters had appropriate features and elements—including suitable ceiling heights and building configuration. The new school will be locally zoned and serve pre-K through 5th grade students with approximately 560 available seats. The School Construction Authority will close on the property by 2012.
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Contact: David Cantor / Marge Feinberg (212) 374-5141