Education and career pathways in healthcare and life sciences are transforming in New York City with the development of SPARC Kips Bay, a first-of-its-kind Science Park and Research Campus. Located on the existing CUNY Hunter College Brookdale Campus, this project will convert an entire city block into a life science, education, and career hub—projected to create more than 15,000 jobs and generate $42 billion in economic impact over the next 30 years.
The project will introduce three new buildings spanning nearly two million square feet of state-of-the-art facilities. These buildings will house the CUNY Hunter College School of Nursing and Health Professions, the CUNY Graduate School of Public Health and Health Policy, the Borough of Manhattan Community College's healthcare programs, and a NYC Public High School focused on health and science education. This initiative will establish a robust education pipeline from high school through graduate studies, directly linking students to careers in public health.
VHB has been integral in guiding SPARC Kips Bay from concept to reality. Collaborating with New York City agencies, including the Economic Development Corporation (EDC) and the Department of City Planning (DCP), VHB completed an accelerated Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) and Uniform Land Use Review Procedure (ULURP) application, which was approved in February 2025.
As the project progresses into the design phase, VHB is overseeing civil and transportation engineering services, site investigation and remediation, as well as biodiversity and arborist services. VHB is also liaising with the City DOT for the design and approvals of the new pedestrian bridge and leading the project’s Envision award submission. Once complete, SPARC Kips Bay will help solidify New York City as a leader in life sciences while benefitting generations of New Yorkers to come.
