The much anticipated ribbon-cutting for the Graduate Hotel at Cornell Tech on Roosevelt Island delighted a small crowd on the campus, today.

The Graduate Hotel is the first ever for Roosevelt Island. Attending were New York State Assembly Member Rebecca Seawright (in red jacket); behind her Cornell Tech Dean and Vice Provost Greg Morrissett; RIOC President/CEO Shelton J. Haynes (in blue suit); Congresswoman Carolyn Maloney (holding ribbon); General Manager Bill Cutillo (holding scissors) and City Councilman and Manhattan Borough President candidate Ben Kallos.

More from the Roosevelt Island Daily

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  Queens Public Library Ransomware Attack: Digital Services Still Disrupted
  The Queens Public Library ransomware attack continues to disrupt public computers, digital books and online services, with no confirmed restoration date.
• 
  A new RIOC appeals officer denied records on how its general counsel was hired
  A different RIOC appeals officer denied records on how RIOC hired general counsel Lance Polivy. RIOC’s internal deliberations on the hire stay withheld.
• 
  Monday’s PSD blotter: two hospital transports, two disputes
  RIOC’s Nov. 9 PSD blotter lists 14 incidents, including four aided calls with two hospital transports and a verbal dispute at 750 Main Street that drew FDNY.
• 
  Flushing Spa Murder: Man Charged After Woman Found Stabbed to Death
  Flushing spa murder investigation leads to a murder charge against a 54-year-old man after a woman was found fatally stabbed in a Queens storefront.
• 
  Sunday’s blotter: four medical calls, three non-criminal investigations
  RIOC’s Nov. 8 PSD blotter lists 19 incidents, including four aided calls (two hospital transports) and three Investigation Non-Criminal entries at 465, 580 and 546 Main Street.

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The Steam Tunnel Repair That Disappeared

RIOC studied it, designed a repair, called it a public-safety problem and repeatedly placed millions of dollars into its capital plans. Then the construction money went to zero.

Theo Gobblevelt Oct 23, 2026

Capital projects change. Costs rise, engineering evolves, funding moves and questions of ownership can complicate even urgent work. But the Roosevelt Island Steam Tunnel was not a speculative improvement that simply slipped down a priority list. RIOC’s own records describe an infrastructure problem known for decades.

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