NEW YORK DEPARTMENT OF STATE ANNOUNCES COMPLETION OF $3.85M INNOVATION HUB AT COLLEGE OF STATEN ISLAND

 

Part of the Downtown Revitalization Initiative, Hub Expands CSI’s Tech Training, Incubation Services 

The Project Received Nearly $1.8 Million from the DRI 

Innovation Hub Photos Here 

New York Secretary of State Walter T. Mosley announced the completion of the College of Staten Island’s $3.85 million Innovation Hub, a key project supported through the Staten Island Downtown Revitalization Initiative (DRI). The project, an expansion of the College of Staten Island’s Technology Training program, features flexible co-working areas, collaboration zones and state-of-the-art labs that will foster entrepreneurship, workforce development and industry partnerships. 

“We are proud to support projects like the Innovation Hub, which help to create opportunities for students, entrepreneurs and the broader community to learn, collaborate and grow,” said Secretary of State Walter T. Mosley. “The Innovation Hub will help prepare the next generation for the jobs of tomorrow while supporting local economic development today. It reflects our continued commitment to building vibrant, inclusive communities through strategic, forward-looking investments.”

The Innovation Hub at the College of Staten Island features advanced technology infrastructure aligned with today’s innovation economy, including virtual and augmented reality, artificial intelligence, robotics, and spatial computing. These tools are integrated across entrepreneurship, workforce development, and academic initiatives. The Hub provides hands-on environments where startups, students, researchers, and small businesses can develop, test, and apply emerging technologies to real-world use cases, positioning Staten Island as a growing center for innovation and tech-enabled economic development.

The project received nearly $1.8 million from the DRI to transform the 4,139 square-foot space located inside of the Lighthouse Point development, into the Innovation Hub, expanding the College of Staten Island’s tech training and incubation services. The hub will include a virtual and augmented reality (VR/AR) lab which will be a resource not only for tech incubator companies, but also for students, researchers and the overall community. It will also offer job training programs in network design and maintenance. 

Staten Island was named the New York City Downtown Revitalization Initiative winner for the fourth round in 2019. Other DRI winners in the region include Downtown Jamaica, Bronx Civic Center, Downtown Brooklyn, Downtown Staten Island, Chinatown, East Harlem, Long Island City and Greater Morris Park in the Bronx. 

In addition to the Innovation Hub, the following projects are also funded by the DRI in Staten Island: 

• Restore the Historic St. George Theatre (Completed): DRI funded improvements to the St. George Theatre, including restoration of the lobby, repair of interior plaster and paint work, and the installation of a new mosaic at the outdoor entrance. The project restored this downtown landmark and improved the visitor experience.
  
  
• Upgrade Seamen’s Society Headquarters to Enhance Service Delivery (Completed): Expand Seaman’s reach into the Staten Island community. Work will include upgrades to the Seamen’s Society headquarters building at 50 Bay Street to enhance the delivery of services for families and children and to convert underused spaces into free community meeting space. 

• Create a North Shore Art Trail: Create a public art trail from St. George to Stapleton by installing unique, community-sourced public art at strategic locations throughout Downtown, including at key intersections and cultural sites.

• Small Business Recovery Fund: The fund will provide grants to property owners or their commercial lessees, for a wide variety of eligible costs that would support the recovery and growth of downtown and create a safer, more welcoming, and more stable environment.

• Improve Wayfinding and Branding throughout Downtown: Enhance the pedestrian and visitor experience by installing color-coded markers to support navigation around key nodes in downtown. The signs would call out cultural sites, eateries, shops, and other destinations and provide a consistent look and feel from St. George to Stapleton.