Simone Development and NYC SCA sign long-term lease to create Bronx STEAM Center

Bronx, NY Simone Development Companies announced that the New York City Construction Authority (SCA) has signed a long-term lease to establish the new Bronx STEAM Center in 54,245 s/f across two floors at the Hutchinson Metro Center Atrium, a three-story, 361,857 s/f mixed-use property located at 1776 Eastchester Rd. The new lease marks a major public-private investment in career-connected education for students, expanding access to hands-on learning, industry-aligned training, and healthcare related career pathways in one of the city’s most important hubs for healthcare, education, business, and innovation.

STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics) schools integrate interdisciplinary, hands-on learning to foster creativity, problem-solving, and real-world application. A cohort of 11^th and 12^th graders from selected  partner high schools spend at least half of their day in a work‑immersive environment after choosing one of the specific pathways housed within the STEAM Center. In partnership with Montefiore Medical Center, Bronx STEAM has initially launched offerings in high‑demand healthcare and technology pathways, including Certified Nursing Assistant, Cybersecurity, and Medical Assisting.

In addition to Montefiore Einstein’s partnership, the Bronx STEAM Center’s placement at the Hutchinson Metro Center opens the possibility for synergies with many organizations among the more than 80 leading healthcare providers, businesses, government agencies, and educational institutions at the campus. Students will gain direct exposure to the industries and employers shaping the borough’s future.

“Bringing the Bronx STEAM Center to the Hutchinson Metro Center is incredibly meaningful not only for participating students and for our campus, but for the borough as a whole,” said Joe Simone, president of Simone Development Companies. “This transformative project is more than a new educational facility. It reflects the power of public-private collaboration to create long-term opportunities in the Bronx. It will deliver a modern, flexible learning environment designed to prepare students for careers in healthcare, technology, engineering, design, and the applied arts. We are especially proud to partner with our long-time tenant Montefiore Einstein to help bring the first-ever healthcare-focused career pathway to the Bronx STEAM Center as we support these ongoing initiatives shaping the next generation of NYC thinkers and creators.”

“The Bronx STEAM Center represents the kind of future‑focused learning our students deserve. This center creates a bridge between rigorous academics and meaningful careers, while anchoring long‑term opportunities for young people and families in the Bronx,” said New York City Public Schools chancellor Kamar Samuels. “The center highlights the importance of having a dedicated space for student‑centered, hands‑on experiences in an innovative model, and I look forward to seeing it open the door to college and career opportunities and lifelong success.”

“CEI is proud to serve as the lead community partner of the Bronx STEAM Center — and to stand alongside Montefiore Einstein, Simone Development, and the extraordinary leadership of Principal Maha Hasen and her team in bringing this vision to life,” said Dr. Meisha Porter, Visiting Senior Fellow, Center for Educational Innovation. “Through this partnership, CEI will bring its expertise, relationships, and citywide platform to bear in support of the Center’s growth — connecting students to industry, strengthening resource development, and helping build the ecosystem of partners this work demands. The Bronx is primed — and its young people deserve infrastructure that matches their ambition. The Bronx STEAM Center is exactly that, and we are honored to help develop it.”

Simone Development’s in-house leasing and legal teams, along with outside counsel from Adler & Stachenfeld LLP, negotiated the transaction directly with the SCA. While the permanent space is under development, programming is currently operating at a temporary site within Mercy University’s Bronx campus at 1200 Waters Pl. at the Hutchinson Metro Center, serving 100 students from 10 Bronx high schools. The new center will significantly expand capacity and allow Bronx STEAM to serve over 700 students from partner high schools across the borough. The space will feature industry‑aligned classrooms, labs, and makerspaces designed to support interdisciplinary STEAM learning and real‑world applications. 

The Bronx STEAM Center is the NYC Department of Education’s second of this kind. The first to open was the Brooklyn STEAM Center in 2017, located at the Brooklyn Navy Yard. The Brooklyn STEAM Center now serves 600 students across 12 career pathways including cybersecurity, HVAC, video production, manufacturing, and culinary arts. The Bronx STEAM Center was among seven new schools that opened citywide for the 2025–2026 school year, with the goal of bringing a STEAM Center to every borough and expanding access to world-class education, accelerated learning, and career pathways for thousands more students.