9. Institute of Design and Construction
The Institute of Design and Construction (IDC) was a nonprofit technical college in Brooklyn that offered degrees in subjects such as Building Construction Technology and Architectural Design Technology. Vito P. Battista, an architect who served in the New York State Assembly., opened the school. The institute gave students real-world exposure to the building construction industry, especially to students from underprivileged backgrounds. The school trained over 30,000 students as architects, engineers, and draftsmen before closing in 2015.
Just 100 students who chose from 11 subjects enrolled when the school opened in 1947. The school moved from 26 Court Street to 311 Bridge Street in 1955, with 450 students and 58 subjects. In 1968, the Institute purchased the American Law Book building at 141 Willoughby Street, and it kept operations there until it closed after declining student enrollment and accreditation concerns.