Google donates NYC headquarters space to Cornell-Technion

Not only did Google’s purchase of a Chelsea headquarters affirm the neighborhood’s tech sector appeal, but the Silicon Valley giant is also using the neighborhood to draw the next wave of start-up entrepreneurs. DNAinfo reported that Google’s headquarters on Eighth Avenue will house the Cornell-Technion applied science graduate school while the permanent campus gets built on Roosevelt Island. Classes are set to begin this fall.

The plan includes giving the graduate program a total of 22,000 square feet of free space that will last for five and a half years, or until the Roosevelt Island campus reaches completion — whichever occurs first. The university will also be able to expand their portion to 58,000 square feet as it grows, according to a press release issued this morning by the Mayor’s office. Google CEO Larry Page said this offer fits into an effort to lure new engineering talent to the city.

“This is one small step,” he said. “But it’s the small steps we take along the way that lead to the biggest change.”

As The Real Deal previously reported, construction of the Cornell-Technion campus is slated to begin in 2014. The first building is expected to be completed in 2017. [DNAinfo]