Breaking Ground,
Making History
The Medical Research Building
View photos from the May 26th Groundbreaking Celebration.
Watch video from the event
Learn more about the new Building in our Why Science Makes a Difference video.
May 26, 2010
Three and a half years ago, we embarked on what was believed to be the most ambitious Campaign in the history of medical colleges — Discoveries that Make a Difference. On May 26th, we celebrated a major milestone at the Ceremonial Groundbreaking for the new Medical Research Building, the heart of our Campaign, which will become the focus of our research operations at Weill Cornell Medical College. We made history that day, not only by celebrating the groundbreaking at the site of the new facility, but also by announcing that we have reached the $1 billion fundraising mark — on our total $1.3 billion Campaign goal — in less than four years.
"It is a day that will live on in the hearts and spirits of our leadership, benefactors, faculty and students," says Antonio M. Gotto, Jr., M.D., D.Phil., Stephen and Suzanne Weiss Dean at Weill Cornell Medical College. “But more importantly, it is a day that will live on through the patients who will benefit from our research for decades to come. It is a day that rewrote the future of biomedical science at Weill Cornell."
More than three hundred guests, including longtime supporters and politicians like the Honorable Michael R. Bloomberg, Mayor of the City of New York, gathered on the sunny Wednesday morning for the celebration on Lasdon Terrace, which overlooks the construction site on East 69th Street between York and First Avenues. Ankit Patel, a fifth-year M.D.-Ph.D. student, welcomed the crowd. "From the depths of the site below, a solid foundation will be built both literally and figuratively," he said." A foundation that builds upon the strengths of this great institution, the dedication of its leadership, the generosity of its donors, the potential of its current and future students, and the promise that medical science holds for future generations."
From that foundation, an 18-story structure will emerge that will shepherd in a new era for research at Weill Cornell. The 480,000 square-foot building will include 16 floors of programmed space with initiatives dedicated to translational bench-to-bedside research targeting some of our most daunting health challenges, including cancer, cardiovascular disease, children’s health and neurodegenerative diseases, among others. The building will more than double our available research space, allow us to recruit at least 30 new researchers, and encourage collaboration across specialties and multi-disciplinary research programs in New York City and at Cornell University in Ithaca.
"It is here where our physicians and scientists will be working to find the answers to the health challenges of our time, and bring hope and health to people in New York and around the globe," Sanford I. Weill, Chairman of the Board of Overseers, said during the celebration.
This historic day was made possible by our generous donors and the steadfast leadership of Dean Gotto, Mr. Weill and Campaign Chairman, Robert J. Appel. To date, of the $1 billion raised in the Campaign, $372 million will go towards the construction costs of the building. More than 90 donors contributed gifts of $1 million or more.
"Three and a half years ago we stood at the starting line — looking up at the tremendous task ahead of us," Mr. Appel said at the event. "Today, I am honored to announce that in the past week we have surpassed the billion-dollar threshold in the Campaign. We believe no other medical college has raised $1 billion in just three and a half years. I thank all our donors for your support and friendship. This day belongs to all of you."
© redsquare, inc. for Polshek Partnership Architects. Please note: This is a representation of what the space may look like when building design and construction have been completed. It is not a precise depiction.
View naming opportunities in the Medical Research Building
