Three Hospital Construction Projects on Fast Track

When the city selected Cornell University to build a new $2 billion campus on Roosevelt Island, only 11 acres of public land, plus $100 million for infrastructure were reported. However, as part of the deal, Bloomberg agreed to relocate by October 2013, hundreds of patients from Coler-Goldwater Hospital, that sits on the proposed site. To meet that deadline, the city is now racing to erect several facilities in East Harlem at a cost of $330 million.

East Harlem community leaders are furious that Mayor Bloomberg is rushing to spend more than $300 million to develop three parcels of public land in their neighborhood — all part of what they say is a huge hidden subsidy to Cornell University’s new tech campus to be built on Roosevelt Island.

When Bloomberg revealed in December that he had selected Cornell to build the new $2 billion science school, he claimed the city’s only aid would be 11 acres of public land at the southern end of the island, plus $100 million for infrastructure improvements. He never mentioned East Harlem’s contribution.

However, as part of the deal, Bloomberg agreed to relocate by October 2013 hundreds of patients from Coler-Goldwater Hospital, a city-run long-term care facility that partially sits on the proposed island site.

To meet that deadline — and a possible ground-breaking for the new campus before Bloomberg leaves office — city officials are racing to erect several facilities in East Harlem that will house as many as 700 Coler-Goldwater patients.

They never bothered to ask locals what they wanted done with that land, according Community Board 11, which voted unanimously last week to oppose them.

“We’re not against the Cornell school,” said Matthew Washington, chair of Community Board 11. “We just believe there has to be more support from the city for our own residents” and “recognition of the burden” the neighborhood will bear for these projects.”

The new East Harlem construction includes:

• $153 million renovation of the former North General Hospital into an acute long-term care facility,

• a new $131 million nursing facility on North General’s former parking lot, and

• $51 million for 172 units of new housing on a parking lot at 99th St. and Second Ave., near Metropolitan Hospital, for Coler-Goldwater patients who don’t need constant care.

• a fourth site, a dormitory at Metropolitan Hospital, could be added to the project.       

Residents say they are amazed at how City Hall fast-tracked these projects.

The mayor issued a rarely used waiver to allow the new 99th St. building to be taller than zoning rules allow, while construction of the new North General building is being permitted six days a week starting at 7 a.m.

City Hall officials say the North General construction had nothing to do with the Cornell proposal.

“HHC announced plans to move to the North General Campus site in June 2010 — more than a year before the applied sciences competition was launched in July 2011,” mayoral spokesman Francis Barry said.

Besides, any renovation of the antiquated site on Roosevelt Island would have cost more than the replacement facility being built at North General, Barry said.

Nevertheless, East Harlem leaders say their neighborhood is getting virtually nothing from all this spending. They say the mayor should assure that Cornell provides special science programs for all East Harlem schools — and a greater share of construction jobs for local residents.