City To Build $42M Preschool Next To NY Hall Of Science In Queens

CORONA, QUEENS — The city will build a new preschool focused on science, technology, engineering, art and math next to the New York Hall of Science in Corona, city officials announced Thursday.

The 306-seat preschool, set to open in September 2021, will offer STEM and art programming developed in partnership with the New York Hall of Science in Flushing Meadows-Corona Park, officials said.

To complement the so-called "STEAM" curriculum, students and their families will get free memberships to the Hall of Science.

The $42.4 million preschool will have 17 classrooms, a community and parent room, two exercise rooms and an outdoor playground, according to NYC School Construction Authority CEO Lorraine Grillo.

It "will not only help to close the access gap to early education programs, but will dramatically improve the learning experience for hundreds of children," Grillo said in a statement.

The city will demolish seven classroom trailers at P.S. 28, P.S. 16 and P.S. 7 to make way for a new outdoor play space and move those students to the preschool, Grillo added.

In a press conference Thursday, Mayor Bill de Blasio said the new preschool would be "literally world class" and provide new opportunities in a neighborhood where "parents feel deeply that they want the best for their kids but they don't have the advantages that some other communities have economically."

"This is going to be one of the very best programs in the nation," de Blasio said. "And it's not happening on Park Avenue. It's happening here in Corona."

@NYC_SCA renderings of new Pre-K Center at the Hall of Science in Corona. SCA Pres. & CEO Lorraine Grillo joined @NYCMayor de Blasio and @DOEChancellor Carranza today to announce we'll have this STEAM learning facility ready by Sept 2021. #space2learn #space2dream pic.twitter.com/t8SprTYPZ6
— New York City School Construction Authority (@NYC_SCA) October 31, 2019

The city’s first STEAM pre-k will be #SeenIn13! My bill to set aside land for this project helped pave the way, but many folks have worked to make today a reality. We want our children to get an early start in science, technology, engineering, the arts and mathematics. pic.twitter.com/JC7XKOaPk2
— Jessica Ramos (@jessicaramos) October 31, 2019