Community District
Find the planning projects in your community district.
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- 125th Street Corridor
- 2nd Avenue Subway
- 421-a tax incentive program
- 980 Madison Tower
- Access to the Region's Core (ARC)
- Albee Square Mall Tower
- Atlantic Yards
- Bayside Rezoning
- Bayswater/Far Rockaway Rezoning
- Bedford Stuyvesant Rezoning
- Briarwood Rezoning
- Bricktown Centre
- Brig Redevelopment, Wallabout Brooklyn
- Brooklyn Academy of Music Cultural District
- Brooklyn Greenway
- Brooklyn Navy Yard
- Bush Terminal Park
- Clinton Hill/Ft. Greene Rezoning
- College Point Police Academy
- Columbia University Expansion
- Columbus Circle
- Con Ed Site Redevelopment
- Coney Island Development
- Cooper Square Urban Renewal Area
- Cross Harbor Freight Tunnel
- Domino Sugar Factory
- Downtown Brooklyn
- Downtown JFK-LIRR Link
- DUMBO Rezoning
- Dyker Heights/Fort Hamilton Rezoning
- East River Plaza
- East River Science Park
- East River Waterfront
- East Side Access
- Far Rockaway and Mott Creek Rezoning
- Far West Village Rezoning
- Federal Housing Policy
- Fieldston Landmark Designation
- Flushing Development
- Fordham Expansion
- Forest Hills Rezoning
- Fresh Kills Master Plan
- Fulton Street Transit Center
- Gansevoort Marine Transfer Station
- Garment District Rezoning
- Gateway Center at Bronx Terminal Market
- General Theological Seminary Tower (Chelsea)
- Governors Island
- Gowanus Development
- Greenpoint-Williamsburg Rezoning
- High Line Redevelopment + Whitney Museum
- HUB Retail and Office Center
- Hudson Railyards
- Hudson River Park
- Hudson Yards Rezoning & Development
- Hunter College Health-Professions Tower
- Hunts Point Vision Plan
- Inwood/Sherman Creek Waterfront Rezoning
- Jamaica, Queens Development and Rezoning
- Javits Convention Center Expansion
- JetBlue JFK Terminal
- Kingsbridge Armory
- Kissena Park Rezoning
- Lincoln Center Redevelopment
- Long Island City
- Lower East Side Rezoning
- Lower Manhattan Development
- Maspeth - Woodside Rezoning
- Mets Stadium Construction
- Middle Village-Glendale Rezoning
- Midwood Rezoning
- Mott Haven School Campus
- Moynihan Station
- Museum for African Art
- New Madison Square Garden
- New Rego Park, Queens Mall
- New York City Building Code
- New York City Hospital Redevelopment
- New York Diamond Tower
- New York Historical Society Tower
- No. 7 Line Extension
- North Brother Island
- North Tribeca Rezoning
- NYC 2012 Olympic Bid
- NYU Development
- One Madison Ave Clocktower
- P.S. 64 Redevelopment
- PlaNYC 2030
- Plaza Hotel Redevelopment
- Policy Developments - Landmarks
- Public Place
- Queens Botanical Garden
- Queens Plaza
- Queens West
- Randalls Island Water Park and Playing Fields
- Red Hook Cruise Terminal
- Red Hook Development
- Renaissance Ballroom and Renaissance Casino
- Seventh Regiment Armory (Park Ave.)
- Silvercup West
- SoHo Sanitation Garage
- Solid Waste Management Plan
- South Bronx Jail Plan
- South Ferry Terminal Project
- South Street Seaport Redevelopment
- South Village Historic District
- Springfield Gardens Rezoning
- St. Vincent’s Expansion
- Stapleton Waterfront District
- Starrett City
- Staten Island NASCAR Track
- Staten Island North Shore Light Rail
- Stuyvesant Town and Peter Cooper Village
- Sunnyside Yards Platform
- The Caledonia (Chelsea)
- Trump Soho Hotel Condominiums
- Union Square Redesign
- Union-Utopia Rezoning
- United Nations Renovation
- Upper West Side Rezoning Proposal
- Uptown New York (East Harlem)
- Van Cortlandt Park Filtration Plant
- Via Verde - New Housing New York Legacy Project
- Washington Square Park Redesign
- West-Park Presbyterian Church Tower
- White Plains Courtyard
- Whitestone Rezoning
- Willets Point Development
- World Trade Center Redevelopment
- Yankee Stadium Construction
QUICK LINKS
- City Review’s Report on the Past & Present of St. Vincent’s & its Surrounding Area
- Community Alternative Plan - Greenwich Village Society for Historic Preservation
- Comparison of St. Vincent's Condo Plans
- Comparison of St. Vincent's Hospital Plans
- Curbed Blog on Early Stages of St. Vincent’s Expansion Plan
- Greenwich Village Society for Historic Preservation Page
- Greenwich Village Society for Historic Preservation’s Page on St. Vincent’s Expansion
- Historic Districts Council Newstand’s Blog on St. Vincent’s Expansion Plan
- Manhattan Institute - "Expanding a Hospital in Historic Territory"
- St. Vincent's Hardship Application Materials
- St. Vincent's Landmarks Application
- St. Vincent’s Website for the New Hospital
St. Vincent’s Expansion
As St. Vincent’s Catholic Medical Centers, the umbrella organization for several hospitals and healthcare facilities, emerged from bankruptcy in February 2007, it announced plans to build a new hospital to replace its flagship facility in Greenwich Village. The new facility would be a 21 story, 625,000 square foot “green” facility that would have 365 beds, 18 operating rooms, and a new emergency room. The new hospital would be built on the site currently occupied by the O’Toole building on Seventh Avenue between W. 12th and 13th Streets. The cost of the development is estimated at $700 million. Once the new facility is built, the buildings that the hospital and associated clinics currently occupy would be sold to Rudin Management Company. Rudin would then build 450 luxury housing units, 15,000 square feet of ground floor retail, and 22,500 square feet of medical office buildings on the site. The proposed development would include townhouses, a mid-rise building, and a 21 story tower facing Seventh Avenue.
The Hospital says it needs the new facility because the layout of its current facility is outdated and impractical. It also stands to profit from the sale of its Greenwich Village real estate once the new facility is constructed. While an official price for the sale hasn’t been released, some news reports estimate it to be about half of what is needed to build the new facility. To help champion public support for the project, St. Vincent’s created an organization, “Friends of the New St. Vincent’s”, that is co-chaired by former Mayor Ed Koch.
Some in the neighborhood are concerned, however, about the height and bulk of the new hospital and the largest residential building. Specifically, the Greenwich Village Society for Historic Preservation is concerned that the buildings, as proposed, would be too tall and not fit within the character of the historic district.
Before St. Vincent’s can proceed with any part of their project, it needs several approvals from the City. Because it is located in the Greenwich Village Historic District, it needs to go before the Landmarks Preservation Commission (LPC), which will review the Hospital’s site plan and determine whether it is appropriate for the historic district. As part of that process, the LPC was required to hold a public hearing. The turnout to the hearing, on April 1, 2008, was so large, that the Commission continued the hearing for a second day, April 15, 2008.
In early May, the LPC rejected St. Vincent's proposal as currently conceived. St. Vincent's plans to file a 'hardship' petition with the LPC, which would allow them to move forward with the plans that the LPC rejected. The petition claims that the current demolition and construction project is the only financially viable option for the hospital. If, after reviewing the hospital's financial records, the LPC finds that the plan is the only one that is financially viable for the hospital, St. Vincent's will be allowed to move forward with their project despite LPC's finding that it is not appropriate for the historic district.
St. Vincent Plan Supported By Elected Officials
Wednesday, July 16, 2008 | New York Sun | Topic: Historic Preservation & Landmarks
City Council Speaker Christine Quinn, Congressman Jerry Nadler, Manhattan Borough President Scott Stringer and other elected officials have endorsed a St. Vincent’s plan to demolish the O’Toole Building in order to build a new 299-foot tall tower. At a hearing before the Landmarks Preservation Commission (LPC), proponents and opponents of the revised plans tried to argue their case. The LPC has not yet acted on the plan.
Neighborhood Residents Speak Out Against St. Vincent's Expansion
Wednesday, July 16, 2008 | New York Times | Topic: Land Use
During a hearing held by the Landmarks Preservation Commission, many neighborhood residents spoke for and against the St. Vincent's expansion plans. While hospital workers protested outside in Washington Square Park, others such as actors and neighborhood residents Susan Sarandon and Tim Robbins spoke out against the plans. Sarandon and Robbins felt the hospital's expansion is out of context with the neighborhood's existing character while others felt an upgrade is necessary and will help area residents.
Landmarks Commission Holds Official Hearing on New St. Vincent’s Plans
Friday, June 06, 2008 | Downtown Express | Topic: Historic Preservation & Landmarks
The Landmarks Preservation Commission (LPC) held its first official hearing of St. Vincent’s revised expansion plans on Monday. Reviews of the plans were somewhat mixed, with elected officials and Community Board 2 largely supporting the revised plans and some preservationists still voicing concerns over the bulk of the proposed buildings. St. Vincent’s has applied for a hardship exemption in order to be able to demolish the O’Toole building, which is within the Greenwich Village Historic District, and build a new hospital tower. The Municipal Arts Society is urging the LPC to explore other options before making the decision to allow the O’Toole building to be demolished. The next LPC hearing on the matter will be held in July.
St. Vincent's Revises Expansion Plans and Presents to LPC
Wednesday, June 04, 2008 | NY1 | Topic: General
At a presentation to the Landmarks Preservation Commission (LPC) yesterday, St. Vincent's unveiled revised plans for their ongoing expansion. The hospital scaled back plans for a tower and apartment buildings and will not demolish 4 of the buildings slated for removal. The hospital believes these expansions are necessary to stay current and within regulations. The Landmarks Commission did not make any decisions, but Council Speaker Quinn recognized the improvements in the plan.
St. Vincent’s Releases Scaled-Down Plans
Tuesday, May 20, 2008 | New York Times | Topic: Historic Preservation & Landmarks
After the Landmarks Preservation Commission rejected earlier plans for the expansion of St. Vincent’s Hospital - located within the Greenwich Village Historic District - the hospital has released a scaled-down version of its original plans. The new plan calls for the adaptation and reuse of 4 of the 9 buildings that were slated for demolition in the previous plan, and it will reduce the height and width of the proposed hospital tower and luxury condominiums in the original plan. Response to the new proposal from preservationists has been largely positive, although they point out that St. Vincent’s will still need to prove hardship to be allowed to demolish the old O’Toole hospital building.
Landmarks Rejects St. Vincent’s Plans; Hospital Will Seek Exemption
Tuesday, May 06, 2008 | Crain's New York Business | Topic: Historic Preservation & Landmarks
All 10 members of the Landmarks Preservation Commission (LPC) said at a meeting yesterday that they did not approve of the current plans for the expansion of St. Vincent’s Hospital. The LPC disapproved of the plans to demolish the O’Toole Building, located on the west side of 7th Ave between 12th and 13th Street, stating that it was a significant example of modern architecture. Some commissioners also objected to plans to tear down eight buildings on the east side of 7th Avenue, which would allow the Rudin Management Company to build new residential buildings. St. Vincent’s has stated that it will apply for a hardship exemption from the LPC, because the O’Toole site is the “only location” where a new, state-of-the-art, green hospital can be built. To do so, St. Vincent’s must prove that the O’Toole Building is “financially or physically preventing the organization from carrying out its mission.” In general, nonprofit organizations applying for hardship exemptions have been relatively successful in earning them.
Landmarks Commission Asks St. Vincent’s to Rethink Expansion
Wednesday, April 16, 2008 | New York Sun | Topic: Historic Preservation & Landmarks
At a public hearing on plans to expand St. Vincent’s Hospital and build condominiums, the Landmarks Preservation Commission (LPC) questioned the developers and said that the testimony provided at the hearing could lead to “a necessary rethinking” of the plan. In particular, commission members focused their questions on the height of the buildings, which the developer says is necessary to avoid an overly imposing street presence. The majority of those who spoke at the public hearing spoke against the expansion plan. The LPC took no official action at the hearing. Another hearing is set for May.
Round Two of Landmarks Hearing on St. Vincent’s Plan
Tuesday, April 15, 2008 | New York Times | Topic: Historic Preservation & Landmarks
The Landmarks Preservation Commission (LPC) is holding a second hearing today for testimony on St. Vincent’s hospital expansion plans in the Greenwich Village Historic District. The hearing, to be held at NYU’s Kimmel Center in order to accommodate the increased participation from the community, will feature testimony from the public and questions from the commissioners. The LPC is not expected to offer a decision on the plan for another couple of weeks.
City Council Speaker Opposes St. Vincent’s Plan at Landmarks Hearing
Wednesday, April 02, 2008 | New York Times | Topic: Historic Preservation & Landmarks
City Council Speaker Christine Quinn said in a statement read at the public hearing before the Landmarks Preservation Commission (LPC) that she opposes the plan to demolish buildings as part of the expansion of St. Vincent’s Hospital. Quinn, who represents the district in which the hospital is located, said she was worried that destroying the buildings could harm the “historical context of the neighborhood.” Some residents also spoke out against the plan, while hospital officials said the expansion was necessary to provide proper health care.
Landmarks Preservation Commission Scheduled to Hold Hearing on St. Vincent’s Hospital
Tuesday, April 01, 2008 | New York Times | Topic: Historic Preservation & Landmarks
The Landmarks Preservation Commission (LPC) is scheduled to hold a hearing on Tuesday to discuss St. Vincent’s plans to tear down nine buildings in the historically designated area of the Village as part of a reconstruction plan to build a new state-of-the-art hospital. Local preservationists disapprove of the destruction of the old buildings and the construction of new, taller buildings. But hospital officials and others in the community say this renovation is critical in providing medical care for an entire section of the city. The only other hospital on the west side of Manhattan is on 114th and Amsterdam.
Community Board 2 Passes Resolution against St. Vincent’s Demolition Plans
Wednesday, March 26, 2008 | The Villager | Topic: Land Use
Community Board 2’s St. Vincent’s Omnibus Committee passed a resolution that calls for the preservation of five buildings that the hospital had plans to demolish. Representatives from St. Vincent’s decried the resolution has being too tersely written and putting the landmarking of buildings over saving lives. Some also expressed that the Community Board was only advocating on behalf of a few in the community, often the vocal and outspoken. CB2’s Chairman Brad Hoylman said that this resolution was focused on the landmarking of buildings as it was done in anticipation of the Landmarks Preservation Commission hearing to be held on April 1st.
St. Vincent’s Developer Faces Opposition from Village Community
Tuesday, March 25, 2008 | New York Observer | Topic: General
Developer William Rudin knows that he is facing a large hurdle to his proposal to build a large residential development at the current St. Vincent’s Hospital site. The neighborhood has both historic district restrictions and a powerful community organization, the Greenwich Village Society for Historic Preservation (GVSHP) that lobbies against developments it deems to be out of character with the neighborhood. The GVSHP has put the St. Vincent’s development at the top of its agenda, arguing that it is too tall and out of scale for the surrounding neighborhood. Rudin, who has a group of people supporting the St. Vincent’s development, says that his plan is respectful of the area’s architecture. The Landmark Preservation Commission is scheduled to have a hearing on the plan next week.
Queens Councilmember Weighs in on St. Vincent’s Expansion Plan
Wednesday, March 12, 2008 | The Villager | Topic: Politics & Government
Queens Council member and chairperson of the Council’s Zoning and Franchising Committee, Tony Avella, wrote St. Vincent’s President a letter expressing concerns about the hospital’s redevelopment plan. Avella wrote that the projects should fit in with the existing building height and bulk in the neighborhood. Additionally he suggested that affordable housing be included in the plan.
St. Vincent's Opposition Group Hires Top Attorney
Tuesday, February 05, 2008 | The Villager | Topic: Historic Preservation & Landmarks
Preserve the Village Historic District, a group put together by three Village residents, hired a top environmental and public advocacy lawyer to help argue their case against the current plan for expansion by St. Vincent and the Rudin Corporation. Albert Butzel, the new attorney, said that their efforts were centered on arguing their case to the Landmarks Preservation Commission (LPC). The Landmarks review process started in late December and Community Board 2 is slated to hold a hearing on the application to Landmarks that would destroy eight existing buildings. If LPC agrees to the project, it still must go through the Uniform Land Use Review Procedure (ULURP). Butzel was previously president of the Friends of Hudson River Park.
Community Meeting Slated for St. Vincent’s Expansion Plan
Tuesday, January 22, 2008 | New York Sun | Topic: Land Use
The first in a series of public meetings regarding the plan to expand St. Vincent’s is scheduled for Tuesday night. The controversy is between preservationists who oppose new development in the Greenwich Village area and the owners of the hospital who need to generate more cash in order to upgrade the hospital. Some opposed to the plan are concerned that St Vincent’s plan to finance the new construction includes selling some of its space to a private company, the Rudin Corporation, to develop luxury condominiums. Since the area is a historic district, the Landmarks Preservation Commission (LPC) must approve the plans before it can go through the city’s land use process. The Community Board will provide a recommendation to the LPC.
St. Vincent’s Files Applications With Landmarks Preservation Commission
Wednesday, January 09, 2008 | The Villager | Topic: Historic Preservation & Landmarks
St. Vincent’s Hospital has filed applications with the Landmarks Preservation Commission (LPC), taking the first steps in the approval process for its plans to build a new hospital and build a residential development on the old hospital’s current site. Because St. Vincent’s is located in the Greenwich Village Historical District, the LPC must approve plans to demolish the current buildings and issue certificates of appropriateness for any new developments. Preservation advocates and neighbors are concerned about the increased height and bulk of the proposed buildings. The LPC will hold a public hearing to address St. Vincent’s applications. The proposal must go through the city's ULURP process which may take up to two years before a final decision can be made by City Council.
St. Vincent's Plan Concerns Preservationists Throughout the City
Sunday, December 16, 2007 | New York Times | Topic: Historic Preservation & Landmarks
The plan by St. Vincent Catholic Medical Centers to build a new hospital in the Greenwich Village Historic District has drawn the concern of historic preservation groups throughout New York City. The concern centers on the fact that the development proposal calls for the demolition of 8 buildings within the district. Some preservationists feel that the project would set a bad precedent and encourage large-scale development within the dozens of historic districts throughout the City.
Size and Lack of Affordable Housing Top Concerns at Community Meeting about New St. Vincent’s Hospital
Thursday, November 15, 2007 | Metro New York | Topic: Historic Preservation & Landmarks
At a community meeting regarding St. Vincent’s plan to build a new hospital, community members expressed concerns over the size of the project and the fact that the plan calls only for market-rate housing and no affordable housing. St. Vincent’s management contends that it needs the revenue generated by the residential development and that without it they can not fully utilize emerging healthcare technology and continue to meet the needs of the community.
New York Sun Believes St. Vincent’s Should be Allowed to Build New Hospital
Tuesday, November 13, 2007 | New York Sun | Topic: Historic Preservation & Landmarks
This editorial in the New York Sun argues that St. Vincent’s should be granted permission by the Landmarks Preservation Commission and the City Council to build a new hospital and sell its existing hospital for residential development. They argue that the plan is needed to meet the healthcare needs of the City as well as provide increased tax revenue through residential development with no tax abatements. The Sun believes that the historic character of the Village can be preserved while still allowing for new development.
Plans for New St. Vincent’s Unveiled
Thursday, October 11, 2007 | New York Sun | Topic: Historic Preservation & Landmarks
St. Vincent’s publicly debuted its plans to build a new, 625,000 square foot “green” hospital across the street from its current hospital, at the site of the current O’Toole Building. The hospital would be 21 stories, have 365 beds, 18 operating rooms, and a state-of-the-art emergency room. When complete, the new facility would allow the demolition of the current hospital. The property on which the current hospital sits would then be sold to the Rudin Management Company for development of 450 units of luxury housing, as well as street-level retail space and medical office space. The housing would be in townhouses, mid-rise buildings, and a 21-story tower on Seventh Avenue.
Development Plans for St. Vincent’s Hospital Revealed
Thursday, October 11, 2007 | New York Sun | Topic: Land Use
Yesterday St. Vincent’s Hospital announced plans to develop a $700 million facility along 7th Avenue between 12th and 13th streets, across the street from its current location. The current site would be converted into roughly 450 units of luxury housing. Community concerns regarding the joint development include the lack of affordable housing and the effect on the historic landscape of the neighborhood.
Koch Co-Chair of “Friends of the New St. Vincent’s”
Wednesday, October 03, 2007 | The Villager | Topic: Historic Preservation & Landmarks
Former Mayor Ed Koch is co-chairing the effort to support the construction of the new St. Vincent’s Hospital in Greenwich Village. The project calls for building a new hospital as well as selling some of the land it owns for development as luxury housing.
Architect Chosen for New St. Vincent’s Hospital
Wednesday, August 08, 2007 | The Villager | Topic: Historic Preservation & Landmarks
Pei Cobb Freed & Partners has been chosen by St. Vincent’s Hospital to design its proposal for a new facility in Greenwich Village. The new hospital will be located on Seventh Avenue between W. 12th and 13th Streets and replace its current facilities.
St. Vincent’s & Community Begin Dialogue on New Facility
Wednesday, May 30, 2007 | The Villager | Topic: Historic Preservation & Landmarks
As St. Vincent’s Medical Centers prepare to emerge from bankruptcy, they are also planning to build a new state-of-the-art hospital in Greenwich Village. The new hospital would be constructed on the site of the O’Toole Building, and the buildings serving as the current campus would be demolished and the site developed for luxury housing. The hospital has not yet released specific details about the project, but some are already critical of the plan. The Greenwich Village Society for Historic Preservation is concerned that a building on the scale St. Vincent’s his talking about would be too tall and out of character for the neighborhood.
Rudin Family Chosen as St. Vincent’s Partner in New Hospital
Wednesday, May 16, 2007 | New York Sun | Topic: Economic Development
St. Vincent’s has chosen the Rudin family to partner with on the construction of their new Greenwich Village hospital. Under the agreement, the Rudin’s would purchase the site of the current hospital and when the new facility is complete, would raze the current campus and build market-rate housing.
St. Vincent’s Emerges from Bankruptcy
Monday, February 12, 2007 | New York Times | Topic: Economic Development
St. Vincent’s and its creditors agreed on a plan for the Medical Centers to emerge from bankruptcy and pay 80% of its unsecured debt immediately. After years of operating losses, St. Vincent’s expects to have a profitable year this year.
New Hospital Proposed as Part of Emergence from Bankruptcy
Saturday, February 10, 2007 | New York Times | Topic: Economic Development
As part of a plan to emerge from bankruptcy, St. Vincent’s Catholic Medical Center plans to build a new hospital in Greenwich Village and sell most of the land on which the current hospital sits to a real estate developer. Hospital officials claim that rehabbing its current facility is not an option, and that building a new facility that is capable of being configured to meet modern technological demands is imperative.
NY Hospitals Face Financial Highs and Lows
Thursday, January 04, 2007 | New York Sun | Topic: Economic Development
While some of NYC’s largest hospitals, including research hospitals, are expanding at a rapid pace and are on a sure financial footing, many other hospitals are facing a more bleak process. Included in this later category is St. Vincent’s Hospital, the largest Catholic Hospital System in New York State. St. Vincent’s is one of four NYC hospitals in bankruptcy and has already closed and sold some of its real estate assets.
St. Vincent’s Files for Bankruptcy
Wednesday, July 06, 2005 | New York Times | Topic: Economic Development
With a debt of approximately $1.1 billion, Saint Vincent’s Catholic Medical Centers filed for bankruptcy protection. St. Vincent’s, the largest Catholic hospital system in the State said that no job cuts or service interruptions were planned at its seven NYC facilities.