History of Roosevelt Island's Spooky Gothic Renwick Ruins Smallpox Hospital - Off Limits To Visitors But Still A Tourist Attraction, Will It Be Saved With $20 Million Stabilization Cost?

The Manhattan Neighborhood Network Youth Channel (YC) recently visited Roosevelt Island Renwick Ruins Smallpox Hospital. Here's their video report.



According to YC:

Right in between Manhattan and Queens lives a little island called Roosevelt Island. This island is a historically residential area but in the past has been home to an important Smallpox hospital for NYC.

The Youth Channel is a production from Manhattan Neighborhood Network's Youth Media Center. The YMC has a mission to develop 21st-century communicators and critical thinkers and provides New York City youth with high-quality media production education classes and training programs to encourage critical analysis of local, national and international social justice issues; community activism; and personal and professional development.

The Youth Channel is cablecast Monday through Friday from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m. on MNN Channel 4. Learn more at http://www.mnn.org/youtheducation.

Here's more on the Roosevelt Island Renwick Ruins Smallpox Hospital from this 2017 video



and info from the Roosevelt Island Historical Society.

As reported in Roosevelt Island Operating Corp (RIOC) President Susan Rosental's November 30,2018 Hey Susan column:

HEY SUSAN!

Just wondering how the stabilization work on the Smallpox Hospital is going and when it might be completed and open to the public. Can you direct me to an information source? Thanks very much.

SUSAN: In the summer of 2017, RIOC applied to the NYS Environmental Fund for a $500,000 grant (the maximum allowed under that program) to undertake planning and create construction drawings for stabilization. A previously-completed schematic design report concluded that the stabilization costs were estimated to be approximately $20 million. RIOC and all our public officials believe we should save the Smallpox Hospital.

Last year, we visited with NYS Lt. Governor Kathy Hochul and discussed several potential ideas for the future of the Smallpox Hospital. Is the greater community ready for a $20 million fund-raising challenge which should start sooner rather than later?