Only 1 Roosevelt Island Question Asked At NYC Mayor Bill de Blasio & Council Member Ben Kallos District Town Hall, But It's An Important One - Resident Asks What Is Future Of Coler Hospital And Will It Be Closing?

On January 17, NYC Mayor Bill de Blasio attended a Town Hall Meeting hosted by NYC Council Member Ben Kallos to answer questions from residents of Roosevelt Island, Yorkville, Lenox Hill, Carnegie Hill, Sutton Place, and El Barrio in East Harlem.

There is nothing better than a town hall in New York City — thank you to Council Member @BenKallos and everyone who came out last night! pic.twitter.com/F2XNGKiFKH

— Bill de Blasio (@NYCMayor) January 18, 2018

At tonight's town hall, @nycmayor is signing my bill that will lower noise from construction and bars in our residential neighborhoods. This bill is now law! pic.twitter.com/E94cKLwfut

— Ben Kallos (@BenKallos) January 18, 2018

Resident Lynn Strong-Shinozaki asked the only Roosevelt Island question during the 1 1/2 hour Town Hall meeting. Ms Strong Shinozaki asked about the future of

  Image From NYC HHC November 9, 2015 Roosevelt Island Coler Hospital Flood Management Presentation

 NYC Health & Hospital Corp's Coler Hospital, the patients and:

.... it looks like they are moving towards closing that Hospital and where will those people go ....

Mayor de Blasio did not answer the specific question of whether or not Color Hospital is closing. Mayor de Blasio told Ms. Shinozaki:

... We have to figure out what we are going to do with the future of our public health system. Some of our premier facilities, we are going to in many cases re-purpose, but we have alot of different uses for them....

.... Whatever we do in any case, we do protect the interests of the patient. That's the whole reason it's there....

I asked Council Member Kallos today:

During the January 17 Town Hall meeting, Lynn Strong-Shinozaki asked Mayor de Blasio if there were any plans to shut down Coler Hospital on Roosevelt Island.

The Mayor did not give any specific answer to that question.

Are there any plans to shut down Coler Hospital or make any changes to it's current service?

Council Member Kallos replied:

I have ongoing concerns that under utilization of space, a failure to invest in maintaining key infrastructure, laying off of doctors and key staff, and empty wings, is setting Coler Hospital up for failure and a self imposed financial crisis that will result in its closure and sale.

I also asked Mayor de Blasio's office for comment. Have not heard back yet but will update with more info.

 A second Roosevelt Island resident asked the Mayor a question, but not specifically about Roosevelt Island, Frank Farance asked Mayor de Blasio about corruption in the NYC Department of Investigation.



Most of the questions asked did not concern Roosevelt Island but other areas of Council Member Kallos' district.

Great question from Jennifer Redall of Church of the Epiphany where our homeless and hungry get hot meals about the need for food pantry funding. @nycmayor says funding to combat hungry will not be cut. pic.twitter.com/dKyUaTgT2m

— Ben Kallos (@BenKallos) January 18, 2018

Students Jesse and Ava and teacher Paula Rogovin from PS 290 are here to speak directly with @nycmayor about the need to ban the use of toxic pesticides. Mayor has asked to be briefed on the legislation. pic.twitter.com/7Az1SWKCDm

— Ben Kallos (@BenKallos) January 18, 2018

.@nycmayor and @nycplanning Chair Lago state that the city has already started moving toward a solution to close some of the loopholes that are allowing for skyscrapers and superscrapers in residential neighborhoods, in response to @FUESHD question.

— Ben Kallos (@BenKallos) January 18, 2018

Great question at the @NYCMayor #UESTownHall about the lack of accessibility in the 86th & Lex subway station by @AFineBlogger. He points out it's one of the 10 most traveled stations in the city. pic.twitter.com/o8xAM3zofi

— Kim Moscaritolo (@kimmosc) January 18, 2018

Several students have come tonight to ask smart questions of @nycmayor. @ERSHOfficial student-athletes who don't have a gym ask if new gym space could be built in early childhood education center slated for the neighborhood.@NYCDOE & School Construction say they're exploring.

— Ben Kallos (@BenKallos) January 18, 2018

Here's video of the entire Town Hall Meeting.

Thx to everybody for coming out last night and asking such substantive, important questions.

And thx to @NYCMayor, commissioners, and staff's hard work and honest answers. https://t.co/4ohsCMGLaJ

— Ben Kallos (@BenKallos) January 18, 2018