A New Era of Learning: The Queens Innovation Center Opens in Woodside

A New Era of Learning: The Queens Innovation Center Opens in Woodside

Queens families have a lot to celebrate this fall. Just in time for the new school year, Queens Innovation Center has opened, complete with a celebratory ribbon-cutting ceremony. The groundbreaking high school brings with it a wave of excitement, opportunity and much-needed classroom space.

Located at 53-16 Northern Boulevard in Woodside, the six-story campus is the largest project ever built by the New York City School Construction Authority (SCA). More than just another school building, it represents a bold step forward in education, combining academics, industry partnerships and inclusive design under one roof.

A Campus Built for the Future

The numbers alone are impressive. The Queens Innovation Center seats 3,066 students and houses four co-located high schools:

• Gotham Tech High School, with a focus on STEM, robotics, and technology.
• Motion Picture Technical High School, which connects teens to the city’s thriving film and television industry.
• The Northwell School of Health Science, created with Northwell Health and Bloomberg Philanthropies to prepare students for public health and medical careers.
• P993Q, a District 75 program serving students with significant learning needs.

Inside, the building boasts 94 general classrooms, 18 special education rooms, science labs, art and music studios, dance rooms, a library, a 550-seat auditorium and even a weight room. Outside, there are recreation spaces designed to balance academic rigor with physical activity and community connection.

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Leadership and Vision

The effort was spearheaded by the SCA under President and CEO Nina Kubota, who considers the Center an inspiration for new facilities. Oversight of the schools themselves falls to NYC Public Schools Chancellor Melissa Avilés-Ramos and other city officials.

At the ribbon-cutting ceremony, their message was clear: this is not just another building. It’s a tangible investment in Queens families—one that will ease overcrowding while equipping young people with experiential learning.

How It Came About

The site has seen many lives. Once home to a Sports Authority, it was later used as a COVID-19 testing location during the height of the pandemic. In 2021, the city broke ground on a plan to transform the underused commercial parcel into an educational hub. The move made practical sense—Queens has long struggled with high school overcrowding—but it also showed vision. By reclaiming a large, centrally located site, planners were able to deliver thousands of seats in one project while tailoring classrooms to 21st-century learning.

The Innovation Center is also part of a larger push by Mayor Eric Adams’ administration to expand and improve school programs in underserved communities. Twenty-eight new schools across the five boroughs will open this fall, providing 13,732 additional seats.

What It Means for Queens Families

The benefits of the Center are both immediate and long-term. For one, it relieves pressure on nearby schools, allowing students to learn in less crowded environments. Families in Woodside, Jackson Heights, and surrounding neighborhoods now have greater access to specialized programs close to home.

Perhaps more importantly, the schools inside the Innovation Center are designed to bridge education and career. With direct ties to industries like health care and film, students can graduate not only with Regents diplomas but also with hands-on experience, mentorship and credentials that can launch them straight into employment.

For Queens families, it’s more than just a new building, it’s a promise. The next generation will have the space, tools and opportunities they deserve to succeed.

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