A new, 170,000-square-foot building, with 85,000 square feet for the NYU College of Nursing, 55,000 square feet for the NYU College of Dentistry, and 30,000 square feet for the Department of Bioengineering at the Polytechnic Institute of NYU (NYU-Poly), will rise on First Avenue, between East 25th and East 26th streets.

Currently known as 433 First Avenue, in recognition of the entrance location on the northwest corner of 26th Street and First Avenue, the new building will become the home and center of academic excellence for the College of Nursing, enable the College of Dentistry to relocate classrooms and offices for administrative and student services, free up existing space for research laboratory growth, and enable students from both the Colleges of Dentistry and Nursing to benefit from a shared learning center. It will also provide materials scientists at NYU-Poly new opportunities for research collaboration with scientists at the Colleges of Dentistry and Nursing, as well as additional space and resources required to consolidate its position as a top destination for cutting-edge technology and research.

"The academic consolidation of NYU's College of Dentistry and College of Nursing six years ago has been a success," said Dean Bertolami. "This step-their physical consolidation-is both the natural outgrowth of that academic decision and in line with the goals of NYU's 2031 plan to maximize the use of its existing footprint. The addition of the Department of Engineering extends the College of Dentistry's and College of Nursing's philosophy of collaboration within and between disciplines and offers opportunities from which a new model of education, healthcare delivery, and scientific partnership can emerge.

"Toward this goal," added Dean Bertolami, "the building will reflect innovative design elements to promote a more exciting, integrated, and collaborative educational and professional model."

Interior demolition of the existing buildings-the Guggenheim Building at 339 East 25th Street and the Basic Science Building at 433 First Avenue-is nearly complete, and scaffolding around these buildings has been in place since mid-March. Construction of the new building is to begin in 2012, and the building will open in the fall semester of 2013 or the spring semester of 2014.

"As a bonus," noted NYUCD's Director of Administration Susan Abraham, "arrangements have been made to memorialize the demolition and document the subsequent construction and progress of the new building. A camera, pointed at the Guggenheim and Basic Science buildings, has been set up on NYUCD's roof to take digital photographs every five minutes. In this way, we can illustrate via time-lapse photography the ‘disappearance' of the buildings over the next several months and the new building rising as it is created over the next several years." Stay tuned for information on how to access these images.

New Building Brings New Naming Opportunities

The construction of a new building at 433 First Avenue brings opportunities to shape dramatically the future of healthcare education, research, and patient care in the 21st century. The generous support of alumni and friends will determine the success of our efforts to create facilities, programs, and technologies commensurate with our goal of bringing students and faculty together in new and interdisciplinary ways to enhance the education of students and promote fruitful collaborative research among faculty.

A future issue of Global Health Nexus will include a sampling of naming opportunities that allow you to link your name to the new building or to honor or memorialize a loved one; pay tribute to an individual; or give something back to the College of Dentistry, the College of Nursing, or the Polytechnic Institute of NYU.