International professional services firm Ernst & Young has committed $2 million towards Jersey City’s $280 million SciTech Scity project, making them the founding sponsor.Â
By John Heinis/Hudson County View
“STEM is at the heart of the transformative age we are living in. The strong leadership and
ambitious plans for Liberty Science Center and SciTech Scity are perfectly aligned to our focus on driving innovation and building a better working world,†Ernst & Young U.S.
Chairman, Managing Partner and Americas Managing Partner Steve Howe said in a statement.
“We are excited to bring EY’s energy to this cutting-edge effort which, ultimately, is about inventing the future.â€
In the same statement Liberty Science Center President/CEO Paul Hoffman was thankful for Howe’s continued support of LSC’s endeavors.
“Steve Howe has been a strong supporter of LSC, serving as Corporate Chair of the annual
Genius Gala for three consecutive years,” Hoffman said.
“At the January 25th VIP official dedication of our Jennifer Chalsty Planetarium and celebration of LSC’s 25th anniversary year, we’ll honor Steve as Influential STEM Corporate Leader and recognize EY’s contributions to LSC.”
After five hours of discussion in March, the Jersey City Council passed a measure allowing the city to transfer land, specifically 14 acres located at 222 Jersey City Blvd., to the local redevelopment agency.
At that meeting, where some residents expressed concerns about the specific scope of the project and how much the land is really worth, Hoffman said that it is up to LSC to come up with $78 million in philanthropic funds.
The council okayed the land transfer by a vote of 6-3, with Councilmen Chris Gadsden (who lost a re-election bid in the December runoff), Rich Boggiano and Michael Yun voting no.
