STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. — The College of Staten Island has completed a $3.85 million Innovation Hub designed to advance workforce development and entrepreneurship through cutting-edge technology, New York Secretary of State Walter T. Mosley announced Friday.
The facility, located in Lighthouse Point, St. George, received nearly $1.8 million from the Staten Island Downtown Revitalization Initiative. The 4,139-square-foot space expands the college’s technology training program with flexible co-working areas, collaboration zones and laboratories featuring virtual and augmented reality, artificial intelligence, robotics and spatial computing.
“The Innovation Hub will help prepare the next generation for the jobs of tomorrow while supporting local economic development today,” Mosley said. “It reflects our continued commitment to building vibrant, inclusive communities through strategic, forward-looking investments.”
The hub provides hands-on environments where startups, students, researchers and small businesses can develop and test emerging technologies. It includes a VR/AR lab accessible to tech incubator companies, students and the broader community, as well as job-training programs in network design and maintenance.
Staten Island won the fourth round of the New York City Downtown Revitalization Initiative in 2019. The program has also supported other borough projects, including restoration of the St. George Theatre, upgrades to the Seamen’s Society headquarters building and creation of a North Shore art trail.
“The College of Staten Island’s Innovation Hub will expand access to cutting-edge training, support entrepreneurs and strengthen Staten Island’s innovation ecosystem — advancing opportunities for students, small businesses and the broader community,” said Empire State Development President Hope Knight.
Timothy G. Lynch, president of the College of Staten Island, Willowbrook, said the facility demonstrates what’s possible through partnership with New York state and its investment in the borough’s future.
The Downtown Revitalization Initiative, created in 2016, has awarded $1 billion to 99 communities across New York through nine rounds. The program aims to accelerate downtown revitalization while promoting economic recovery and climate goals by encouraging public transit use and walkable development.