The New York City Council has approved the Science Park and Research Campus (SPARC) Kips Bay and Innovation East projects. The vote completed the public review process for the two projects in Manhattan’s Kips Bay neighborhood, which the New York City Economic Development Corporation called key initiatives in advancing the goal of creating 10 million square feet of life sciences space locally.

“The state-of-the-art projects at SPARC Kips Bay and Innovation East will not only drive significant economic impact but also create a strong talent pipeline through the city’s academic institutions and organizations,” said NYCEDC president & CEO Andrew Kimball.

NYCEDC said SPARC Kips Bay will transform an entire city block with more than two million square feet of academic, public health and life sciences space. The Innovation East development, located at 455 First Ave., will replace the former and obsolete Public Health Lab with a new state-of-the-art life science hub.

The New York City Economic Development Corporation (NYCEDC) on Wednesday announced a Request for Proposals (RFP) for a construction management firm to manage construction of the first phase of the Science Park and Research Campus (SPARC) Kips Bay project, intended to transform Hunter College’s Brookdale School of Nursing Campus into nearly two million square feet of academic, healthcare and life sciences space.

The total anticipated contract award is expected to be more than $1 billion, and the work will be governed under a Project Labor Agreement. Construction is expected to begin at the end of 2025 and to be completed in 2031. The RFP can be viewed here.

The construction manager will oversee deconstruction of the existing buildings on the current Hunter Brookdale School of Nursing campus, construction of the first phase of the SPARC Kips Bay development and reconstruction of the existing 25th Street pedestrian bridge over the FDR Drive.

“SPARC Kips Bay is a transformative and generational project that will cement New York City as the global leader in the life sciences industry while building a more vibrant and inclusive economy,” said NYCEDC president & CEO Andrew Kimball. “Securing a construction manager is a monumental step in turning this vision to reality and creating a first-of-its-kind campus that will create a diverse talent pipeline of students looking to enter the life sciences and health sectors.”