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More than seven months after being completed, a city-run early childhood center will finally open in the fall on Manhattan’s Upper East Side, adding 72 new prekindergarten seats and 60 3-K seats to the area, Mayor Zohran Mamdani announced Thursday.
It’s the first standalone, city-run early childhood center in the 10065 ZIP code and will double the number of child care spots for 4-year-olds and quadruple availability for 3-year-olds in the immediate area.
“While this building was completed last summer, its classrooms have continued to sit empty for months. Today, we are righting that wrong,” said Mamdani during a press conference at the 403 East 65th St. building.
The city first announced plans for the building in 2022. Officials did not explain Thursday why the completed building has sat empty.
More than 50,000 applications for the city’s free preschool and 3-K programs have streamed in since January, roughly half of the applications received in total the year prior. Applications are not accepted on a first-come, first-serve basis.
Who the new seats will serve
Families with children turning ages 3 or 4 this calendar year who live between 60th to 69th streets in Manhattan’s Community District 8 will have priority for the new seats, officials said. Families who have already applied for 3‑K or pre‑K can log back into their online applications and, if located in the area, add the new center to their ranked preferences.
The application deadline is Feb. 27.
The 10065 ZIP code’s number of early child care facilities is roughly on par with the city average, according to public data. There are currently two public schools in the district that offer pre-K and one early education center offering both 3-K and pre-K seats.
While the Mayor’s 2-Care program will focus first on families in neighborhoods with the highest need, this center will serve a decidedly more affluent demographic area — and one that has waited for this center to open for four years.
The affluent neighborhood has a median household income of $155,000, about 1.5 times the city average; 77% of the neighborhood’s 30,808 residents are white, and 44% have a master’s degree or higher, according to American Community Survey 5-year estimates.
UES opening marks broader child care expansion
City Council Speaker Julie Menin said that the council has been working to expand city-run child care centers since the passage of a seven-bill package in 2022, which included a new provider directory, established a pilot grant for child care programs, and mandated reporting on child care access gaps.
Though the legislation laid structural groundwork for child care expansion, Menin acknowledged that much of the package’s intended outcomes “did not happen.” She said the opening of the 65th Street center will make early child care access a reality for east side families.
“I can’t tell you the number of parents who have said, ‘If we do not get affordable child care, we’re going to leave the city,’” said Menin on Thursday. “This is really a sign of what we need to do citywide to open up more child care facilities to make sure that every single parent that needs a slot for 3-K and pre-K has it.”
Six new bills aim to bolster child care
City Council members this week introduced six new local laws designed to help buoy Mamdani’s signature child care promises.
So far, Gov. Kathy Hochul promised state funding for the first two years to help the city launch its free 2-Care program, beginning with seats in high-need neighborhoods.
The new City Council legislative package aims to bolster the infrastructure to make that happen and to shore up the existing pre-K and 3-K programs. It includes mandating outreach and quarterly reporting by the Education Department on pre-K and 3-K availability and providing financial incentives to property owners who convert vacant lots into child care facilities.
The council’s subcommittee on early childhood education is expected to discuss the bills at a March 2 oversight hearing.
Lizzie Walsh is a Data Fellow at Chalkbeat New York, reporting NYC local news and data-driven stories across Chalkbeat’s bureaus. Contact her at ewalsh@chalkbeat.org.
