Cornell University ILR School Heightens New York City Presence

Cornell University’s ILR School will move its New York City office in Midtown Manhattan to the historic, former RCA Victor Building at 570 Lexington Avenue in January.  The move will heighten ILR’s presence in NYC, provide a central location for its NYC-based classes and events, and leverage leading-edge technology to enhance the experience for the more than 5,000 students trained through ILR Outreach programs annually. It will also include space for other Cornell Ithaca-based units to co-locate and work collaboratively with ILR.

“This is a new chapter in ILR’s history and its physical presence in Manhattan since 1948,” said Kevin F. Hallock, Kenneth F. Kahn ’69 Dean of the ILR School. “I look forward to this space expanding existing collaborative partnerships with people from across the University, and igniting new ones. ILR, like the University at large, sees New York City as an important part of its future.” 

ILR’s 40,000-square-foot office and conference center on the 11th and 12th floors will include a 150-person event space and six classrooms, as well as a café space and a variety of smaller meeting rooms.

It will be the home for nearly 100 NYC-based ILR staff and faculty members, including ILR’s Outreach extension faculty and staff.  ILR Outreach programs provide a variety of educational, training and technical assistance services to businesses, labor unions, governments and civic organizations, along with conducting research and public programs on work and workplace challenges.

The new location places ILR’s New York City hub closer to Cornell Tech, Weill Cornell Medicine, and still be within close proximity to the Cornell Club. The location will also serve as the home of Cornell’s Urban Semester Program: Medical Culture and Practice. 

Additionally, it provides space for community-engaged work in support of Engaged Cornell and will serve as one of four New York City offices housing Cornell Cooperative Extension’s New York City programs. Weill Cornell Medicine will also be locating some offices on the 9th and 10th floors of the building. 

This convergence will place various Cornell programs and schools in one building, creating additional opportunities for increased collaboration for Cornell in Midtown Manhattan.
570 Lexington is an Art Deco building owned by the Feil Organization. It was built in 1931 and designed by John W. Cross. Formerly the RCA Victor Building, it was later bought by General Electric.  It is a 50-floor, 640-foot tall, skyscraper, which was designated a New York City landmark in 1985, and added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2004. 

Cornell community members can contact Melissa Manning at mf244@cornell.edu with questions regarding space use.