Championed by Council Member Julie Won, the project will transform a former kitchen into a hub for student learning, civic engagement, and youth programming
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Queens NY – The City University New York School of Law has secured $6 million in New York City capital funding to more than double the size of its community space in Long Island City, transforming an underutilized former kitchen into a flexible, tech-ready hub for legal education, civic engagement, and public programming. The renovation will create space for youth leadership programs, community legal workshops, and events that connect Queens residents with CUNY Law’s work expanding access to justice.
The investment, secured through Council Member Julie Won as part of the New York City Executive Budget for Fiscal Year 2026, marks a major step in the school’s efforts to deepen community ties and expand access to public interest legal resources in Queens. The expanded facility will enable CUNY Law to host more events with neighborhood organizations, city agencies, and alumni-led initiatives that empower the next generation of civic leaders and legal advocates.
The new community space will provide classrooms, meeting rooms, and presentation areas that can accommodate a wide range of programs and public forums.
“This funding wouldn’t be possible without the support of Council Member Won, a champion of education in Queens and an advocate for CUNY Law,” said Natalie Gomez-Velez, Dean of CUNY School of Law. “This $6 million investment will increase our capacity to provide concurrent programming with our many community partners. The fact that we hosted 1,800 community guests in the existing space last year demonstrates our need for this expansion. With this project, we’re not just expanding our physical space, we’re deepening our relationships with community-centered legal education and civic engagement in Queens.”
Securing this funding is the result of years of advocacy and highlights a milestone for an inclusive, tech-enabled space to serve both the Law School and wider Queens. The renovated area will span 3,800 square feet, transforming the Law School’s former commercial kitchen into a flexible hub for classes, events, and public programming. Designed to support students, faculty, and community partners alike, the space will feature equipment and furnishings to accommodate a wide range of uses.
“Our $6 million City Council investment in CUNY Law’s renovation will provide the technology and much-needed space to teach the next generation of lawyers,” said Council Member Julie Won. “I’m happy to continue funding CUNY Law as they provide a world-class, affordable public education and connect New Yorkers to legal resources that center social justice across our city.”
Phase 2 will more than double the size of the existing community space, utilize previously underused sections of the building, and allow flexible configurations for concurrent events. Construction is scheduled to begin in spring 2026 and be completed by the end of the year.
CUNY Law is the nation’s most racially diverse law school and ranks #1 for public interest job placement. Its alumni pursue careers that advance equity, community-centered policies, and civic engagement, while current students actively engage with the local community through partnerships with organizations, advocacy groups, and public schools.
In the past year, the Law School hosted programs including First Impressions Youth Legal Collaborative, CUNY Citizenship Now!, The Young Debaters Program, a citywide Women and Minority Business Enterprise (WMBE) seminar, and multiple Department of Health trainings.
When completed, the new facility will more than double the existing event space, expanding opportunities for students, faculty, and community partners to collaborate on issues from youth justice to immigrant rights—strengthening CUNY Law’s role as a civic anchor for Queens.
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About CUNY School of Law
The City University of New York School of Law is the nation’s leading public interest law school with a dual mission: to recruit and train outstanding public interest lawyers and to diversify the legal profession so that it includes and reflects people and communities needed to transform justice.