Community Objections to St. Vincent's Campus Redevelopment Project

Below are some of the objections filed with the New York City Planning Commission in opposition to the Rudin Organization's plan to build 450 luxury condominiums at the site of the former St. Vincent's Hospital in Manhattan.

Included are the objections from the Coalition for a New Village Hospital, Community Board 2, and Democracy for New York City.


Community Objections to the St. Vincent's Campus Redevelopment Project

Coalition for a New Village Hospital Submits 3,500 Petition Signatures, Comments in Opposition to Rudin Condo Plan

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

CONTACT:

Yetta G. Kurland, Esq.

Kurland, Bonica & Associates, P.C.

(212) 253-6911

Coalition for a New Village Hospital Submits 3,500 Petition Signatures, Comments in Opposition to Rudin Condo Plan

West Village, NY. July 12, 2011. The Coalition for a New Village Hospital submitted 3,500 signatures to the New York City Planning Commission yesterday along with an 11 page position paper in opposition to the Rudin’s plan to develop St. Vincent’s Hospital into luxury condominiums. They petition called upon the CPC to deny the Rudin Organization’s plan alleging that it would violate law, deny lower Manhattan with desperately needed health care and overtax the current infrastructure in the area with the additional 450 luxury units the plan proposes.

The petition, viewable online at: http://www.change.org/petitions/a-hospital-not-condos-for-nyc, highlights that the Rudin application “does not include a hospital. As such, it does not comply with the requirements of the 2009 LPC ‘judicial hardship’ approval. Nor does it comply with the provisions of 501(c)3 of the Internal Revenue Code in that this sale and the proposed Rudin plan does not continue the charitable mission of SVCMC as it is required to, namely to provide a full service hospital.”

Online signatories (the majority of signatures were gathered on paper) had the opportunity to comment as well. Many of the comments spoke to resident’s personal experiences at St. Vincent’s, and more recently in the absence of a hospital.

Fred Hersch wrote: “St. Vincent's saved my life three times. It should be there for others.”

Rosemary Rowley said: “What we need is health care, not more upscale housing to burden all ready overburdened services.”

The petition was supplemented by formal comments from the Coalition for a New Village Hospital’s attorney, Yetta Kurland.

Those comments, viewable at http://demandahospital.blogspot.com/2011/07/comments-on-coalitions-petition-to-cpc.html, focus on the various land use, zoning, public health and nonprofit law deficiencies in the Rudin’s application, and called upon the City Planning Commission to reject the application.

In a statement, Ms Kurland said, “The Rudin Condo plan does not comply with the law, and it does not comply with common sense. This location is clearly well suited for hospital use – and has been for 160 years. There can be no doubt that the interests and public health of the City of New York would be irrevocably damaged if this flawed, illegal plan is permitted to proceed.”

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Comments on the Coalition's Petition to the CPC

View below the powerful comments from our community on the coalition's petition to the City Planning Commission.


Comments on CNVH Petition to NYC CPC Opposing the Rudin Condo Plan for St. Vincent's

CB2 Landmarks/St. Vincent's Meeting tonight!

Community Board Two's St. Vincent's Omnibus and Landmarks committees are having a joint meeting tonight to discuss the Rudin/LIJ plan's changes to the landmarked O'Toole building. This is integral to their plan. Please attend, and ask them not to allow the Rudin's to change the exterior of the O'Toole building until they guarantee a hospital across the Street.

TONIGHT, Tues., 7/5 @ 6:30 PM– NYU Silver Building, 32 Waverly Pl. Room 208

1. *30 Seventh Avenue (O’Toole Building)-Application for façade changes and new entrances. For more information go to: http://bit.ly/iNUSWj

Hope to see you there. Thanks.

What happened at that City Planning Commission meeting?

Well, it was a packed house, and the Coalition for a New Village Hospital spoke loud and clearly. Every speaker except one supported the Coalition position that there should be no condo development in the absence of a full service hospital.

The Coalition also delivered over 2,500 petition signatures to the CPC from community members who couldn't make the midday meeting. (Speaking of which, please join us tomorrow to get more signatures...).

It was a very encouraging meeting, and the commissioners seemed engaged. For a fantastic, thorough write-up of the meeting, check out Perry Street Palace's post.

Hospital struggle continues in the courts, and the streets…

The Coalition for a New Village Hospital has not dropped it’s lawsuit

You may have read this week about a lawsuit relating to the former St. Vincent’s Hospital being dropped. The suit in question was brought by allies of the Coalition, who lacked the resources to pursue it further.

We assure you that the Coalition for a New Village Hospital has not dropped our challenges to the Rudin Condo plan in the courts, in the streets in City Hall or at the NYC Planning Commission.

In fact, at this week’s City Planning Commission scoping meeting, community members filled the halls speaking passionately in opposition to the Rudin Condo plan and of the need for a full service hospital. The tone of the discussion and the parameters of the debate were set by our voices. The Coalition delivered over 2,500 signatures on our petition to the Planning Commission, gathered in only a few days.

Please take a moment to sign the online petition now: http://www.change.org/petitions/a-hospital-not-condos-for-nyc. Or just click the petition widget to the right.

Then, join us the rest of the Coalition for a New Village Hospital

at our big street petitioning drive tomorrow

Tomorrow, Saturday, July 2, 2011

12:00 PM– 4:00 PM

Meet at Tea & Sympathy

108-110 Greenwich Avenue

between Jane and Horatio Streets (MAP)