Interesting story and note the role of benefactors and potentially interesting lessons as we progress Konza City. "Cornell University has been chosen by New York City to build a technology campus on Roosevelt Island with a grant of city-owned land and $100 million. The campus Cornell proposed will occupy 2.1 million square feet, accommodate up to 2,500 students and cost more than $2 billion to build. A $350 million gift from an anonymous donor, the largest in Cornell’s history, will help foot the bill. Other schools that expressed interest in New York City’s tech campus offer include Columbia University, Carnegie Mellon, and a consortium led by New York University and Stanford, which dropped its bid Friday. But Cornell, an anonymous source told The New York Times, has been the school of choice for a while. And it might not be the last. “This is the first selection announcement for the Applied Sciences NYC initiative,” says a statement released by the city. “Productive discussions are ongoing with other respondents…and the possibility of additional science and engineering partnerships in the City is still open.” Cornell plans to open an off-site location of the campus by 2012, with the first phase of permanent Roosevelt Island opening by 2017. The university will lease the land from the city for 100 years, after which it will have the opportunity to purchase it for $1. SEE ALSO: NYC Startup Scene Celebrated in 2012 Calendar [PHOTOS] It’s potentially a mutually beneficial plan. Plotting a tech branch in New York City is an opportunity for Cornell to become the Stanford of the East Coast — an incubator for new businesses (and their patents). Attracting prestigious technology-education institutions is another step in New York City’s relentless efforts to become the Silicon Valley of the East Coast. “This is a momentous day catapulting New York City into the forefront of the 21st century economy and burnishing its place as the high-tech center of the East,” U.S. Sen. Charles E. Schumer said in a release." More About: Cornell, new york city, New York city Tech Campus For more Business coverage: Follow Mashable Business on Twitter Become a Fan on Facebook Subscribe to the Business channel Download our free apps for Android, Mac, iPhone and iPad -- Paul Kukubo Chief Executive Officer, Kenya ICT Board PO Box 27150 - 00100 Nairobi, Kenya 12th Floor, Teleposta Towers Koinange Street Tel +254 20 2089061, +254 20 2211960 Fax: +254 20 2211962 website: www.ict.go.ke local content project: www.tandaa.co.ke, www.facebook.com/tandaakenya twitter:@tandaaKENYA BPO Project: www. doitinkenya.co.ke Digital Villages Project: www.pasha.co.ke personal contacts _______________ Cell: + 254 717 180001 skype: kukubopaul googletalk: pkukubo personal blog: www.paulkukubo.co.ke personal twitter: @pkukubo ____________________ Vision: Kenya becomes a top ten global ICT hub Mission: To champion and actively enable Kenya to adopt and exploit ICT, through promotion of partnerships, investments and infrastructure growth for socio economic enrichment