Yonkers’ Boyce Thompson Center opening pays homage to BTI’s history and roots

After the Boyce Thompson Institute relocated to Ithaca, NY in 1978, its original building and grounds in Yonkers, NY laid vacant for more than 40 years. A remnant of its original purpose, the building was left devoid of its most basic vestige: life.

That all changed on May 23^{rd, 2017,} with the ribbon-cutting ceremony and official opening of the new Boyce Thompson Center. Developers, city officials, and BTI staff united in celebration of the building and BTI’s historic past and future success.

Built in the 1920s, the property was acquired by Simone Development in 2015 and restored to its original character. The once vacant space is now an innovative 85,000-square-foot mixed-use center featuring office/medical space, restaurants, banking, and retail stores.

The new center features multiple components that pay homage to the history and contributions of BTI, including vintage photos, artifacts, landscape designs, and indoor and outdoor signage and exhibitry. Outdoor elements include a plaza with a fountain featuring stonework from the original entrance, and bioswales that include various flower and plant species that are representative of BTI’s current and past research.

“We at the Boyce Thompson Institute are thrilled to have been able to participate in the restoration of our former home,” said BTI President, David Stern. “Simone Development has been incredibly generous in paying homage not only to the history of the Boyce Thompson Institute, but also our present and future. This project has reconnected us with our past, and as a result, reinvigorated our relationships with the City, schools, and people of Yonkers. We value these new relationships and look forward to new and continued partnerships moving forward.” 

In addition to the opening of the center, BTI staff, Board members, and donors were treated to a private brunch at the center, and also enjoyed a tour of Alder Manor, William Boyce Thompson’s Yonkers mansion, and the neighboring Untermyer Gardens Conservancy. 

For complete stories, photos, and videos from the opening, click below:

Hudson Valley News Network | News 12 Westchester | The Journal News

 

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