Fordham broke ground today on the Bronx Green Jobs Center, a trailblazing workforce training initiative to help community members land good-paying jobs in New York’s vibrant green economy. Created in close collaboration with local community groups, the center will train local talent to thrive in high-demand fields, driving the transition to a more sustainable economy. 

According to Fordham President Tania Tetlow, the center will embody Fordham’s mission in the community and the world. 

“It is an imperative of our Catholic faith to treasure the creation that God has gifted us,” said Tetlow. “ So we do the work of caring for the Earth, our home, as Pope Francis commanded us to do. We do that work here in the Bronx, a neighborhood we have been part of for 184 years.”

A rendering of the future facade of the Bronx Green Jobs Hub, which will open its doors in fall 2026.

Expanding Access to Economic Opportunity in the Bronx

Through the center, set to open its doors in fall 2026, community members will be able to earn certifications in solar panel installation, energy efficiency technologies, electrical vehicle infrastructure, urban agriculture, and more. The center will also provide support for entrepreneurs in sustainable industries. 

Bronx Borough President Vanessa Gibson said the project represents “an opportunity to truly redefine what workforce development looks like in the 21st century” as the need to address climate change calls for the creation of hundreds of thousands of jobs. 

“ We know climate change is not just an environmental issue, it’s an economic one,” said Gibson. “ Across this great state, we often ask the question, who will get those jobs? Will our communities have access to training and other programs? Will we get the support we need? Thanks to this project, we can say yes.”

Bronx Borough President Vanessa Gibson speaks at the groundbreaking. Photo: Andrew Henkelman

City Councilmember Oswald Feliz, whose district includes the Fordham neighborhood, said “many families will finally be able to achieve economic stability” thanks to the center’s training programs.

State-of-the-Art Facilities–and a Café

The center will be housed in a 12,000 square-foot, formerly industrial space at 585 East Fordham Road in the Bronx that was most recently used as a carpet store. The space is currently undergoing renovations that will transform it into a state-of-the-art learning facility featuring modern labs, New York’s first dedicated green economy entrepreneurship center, an event space for up to 200 attendees, and a streetside café offering local goods. 

The center will feature teaching labs, a green economy entrepreneurship center, an event space, and a streetside cafe.

With, of, and for the Bronx

Fordham led an extensive community-driven process to develop the center, a process that will continue as the center comes to fruition. Partnering with community and faith-based organizations, employers, labor groups, educators, and environmental justice leaders, the University aims to create a hub that advances economic opportunity in the Bronx in a way that addresses the community’s needs. 

President Tetlow shakes hands with Aleyna Rodriguez of the Mary Mitchell Family and Youth Center, who took part in the community planning process. To the right sits U.S. Rep. Ritchie Torres. Photo: Chris Taggart

The center is supported by a significant $14 million investment from Fordham as well as public and private contributors, including the New York State Dormitory Authority, the New York City Economic Development Corporation, the New York City Council, and One Girl Foundation.

One Girl Foundation founder and Fordham Trustee Meaghan Barakett, GSS ’16, provided initial funding for the center. She said the project has been a community-driven initiative that will serve as a “model for the city” when it opens its doors. 

“As an alum and as a trustee, I could not be more proud that Fordham University is leaning into its Jesuit values and mission of Cura Personalis—belief in the whole person—and belief in equity, dignity, and opportunity for all,” Barakett said. 

Photo: Chris Taggart

Training for a Growing Green Economy

The Green Jobs Center comes at a critical moment, with New York state projected to add over 172,000 new clean energy jobs in the next five years. In New York City alone, green economy jobs are expected to grow at an 8% annual rate—twice as fast as overall employment. Certain roles, like solar panel installers, are seeing rapidly growing demand, with projected job growth reaching 48% by 2030. 

The center is designed to help community members seize the opportunity of this rapid growth, while addressing climate change in the process. 

“We want to model for our students what it means to see broken systems and to fix them, to look big-picture at the world and to make it better, and to have a mission and purpose for a lifetime,” Tetlow said. 

Photo: Andrew Henkelman