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Upper East Side residents protest hospital expansion
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May 22, 2025
A hospital in Lenox Hill is looking at expanding to accommodate more patients, while the local community board protests the expansion saying the building will be too large and unsightly. FOX 5 NY's Linda Schmidt reports.
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The battle over expanding an Upper East Side hospital shows no signs of slowing down
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Northwell Health wants to build up the hospital to the tune of about $2 billion
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Yeah, the Planning Commission taking public comment today on the plan. Fox says Linda Schmidt is live in the newsroom with the latest on this expansion back and forth, Linda
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And it has been going back and forth. This has been an ongoing battle now for the past six years, in fact
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The City Planning Commission listening to both sides of the argument today
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In the meantime, Lenox Hill Hospital wants to build a tower that could be up to 40 stories tall right here on the Upper East Side
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We're definitely in favor of the modernization of the hospital. We just think that the plan is too massive
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So Manhattan Community Board 8, along with some residents on the Upper East Side, are not giving up
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Lenox Hill Hospital on East 77th Street wants to renovate and expand, including the building of a tower
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that could be as tall as 40 stories. This is a structure that's comparable in mass to some of the largest buildings in the city
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like the Empire State Building. Both residents and hospital officials pleading their cases
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and taking questions from commissioners with the Department of City Planning during a public hearing
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Dr Daniel Baker is the president of the hospital We heard from community suggesting that the 436 or 395 is too
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much and that there should be a limit of 215 across the entire site. What do we take out
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Is it patient rooms, which then takes out clinical services? Do we eliminate inpatient psychiatry
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Do we eliminate maternal child beds? The proposed expansion would only add 25 additional beds
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but all 475 hospital rooms would be private, some calling it a hospital for the rich
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On its original website, when it unveiled the plans, it noted crystal chandeliers, spa-like amenities, a Michelin chef
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But other groups are in favor of the massive expansion. We believe the current proposal and requested actions, again
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reflect a much improved and the best balance between the hospital's operational needs and
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its physical footprint. Jean Rodd is a nurse in the neonatal unit, which she says desperately
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needs more space. The families of babies that are sick or dying are in the same waiting room
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as the families that are having healthy babies and celebrating. Okay, so where does this all go
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from here? Well, the city planning commission will eventually rule on the project and then
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make a recommendation to city council. The council is expected to vote on the hospital's expansion by
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the end of the summer. Stephen, Natasha, back upstairs to you. All right, Linda, thank you so much
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