Let your voice be heard! On Wednesday, January 8, 2020, from 6:00 PM - 8:00 PM, RIOC will be sponsoring a workshop about the planned work for Lighthouse Park. The workshop will take place at the Good Shepherd Community Center (Upper Level) 543 Main Street. Please share this with all of your neighbors. Children are welcome! Please take the survey by clicking here:
and some background about the project from this October 7, 2019 memo excerpt to RIOC President Susan Rosenthal from RIOC Assistant VP Of Capital Planning & Projects Jonna Carmona-Graf:
... Lighthouse Park is a 3.5‐acre passive park that provides panoramic views of New York City. The park offers barbeque grills, a picnic grove and rolling lawns with mature canopy trees. The park also includes the historic light house designed by James Renwick and erected in 1842.
Recent improvements to the park include upgrades to the seawall railings, reconstruction of the foot bridges and general repairs of damage caused by Superstorm Sandy. However, many areas of the park including the adjacent parking areas have deteriorated over time and need repair. We are committed to investing approximately $11M in transformative capital improvements to the park and its’ parking area. As a result, RIOC sought for design services to repurpose the parking lot into useable park space that better serves the community, as well as, complete needed upgrades to the existing park amenities. When complete, the park will expand to nearly 7 acres of passive and active space....
Recently, there have been plenty of rumors about Coler Hospital closing and being put up for sale by New York City.Will Coler Hospital be closed and demolished for a new development - as was it's sister property, Coler Goldwater Hospital, for the Cornell Tech campus?
During the November 1, 2018 Meet the Roosevelt Island Residents Association (RIRA) Common Council Candidates Forum, a question was asked to candidate, now RIRA President Lynn Strong-Shinozaki, about the closing and sale of Coler Hospital. The resident asked:
I've heard that Coler Hospital might be for sale or might be closing at some point. Do we know what plan for that whole area is?
Ms Shinozaki responded:
The answer to that is no, but what I do know is that you are correct that the City list of properties that can be bought, Coler Hospital is on that list...
The issue with Coler Hospital that makes it unique and different from some of the other spaces on the Island is that is not part of the Roosevelt Island Operating Corp. It is a City owned space. So there is limited things that RIOC has control over in that space....
... My concerns are that the Coler Hospital has decommissioned itself in certain levels and that it has not built certain parts of the Hospital. There are about 700 patients there but the capacity is much greater. ...
We're going be asking questions up front and out in the open. ... We want to make sure we are not steamrolled into having something happen.
Here's video of the exchange about possible closing of Roosevelt Island's Coler Hospital.
The NY Daily News tweets today:
EXCLUSIVE: The last public hospital on NYC's Roosevelt Island could be closing soon https://t.co/RflBKqpBBl
... Possibly on the chopping block is Coler Hospital, located on Roosevelt Island's northern end, which would mean that 594 patients now staying at the 24-hour-a-day, 815-bed facility would have to be transferred elsewhere....
The Coler Hospital building in on NYC property but my understanding is that the land 5 feet from the perimeter of the building including the parking lot area is RIOC controlled land.
RIOC should have considerable say as to the future of the property.
UPDATE 5:40 PM - According to Roosevelt Island's NY City Council Member Ben Kallos:
I've long suspected H+H has been mismanaging Coler and other healthcare facilities into the ground as part of a self fulfilling prophecy of failure.
Only the City of New York could lose money on hospital rooms that average $10,700 a night, more than twice the price of the Extreme WOW Suite on the 57th floor of W Times Square.
With expansions by every other hospital in the medical corridor of my district, it's strange to see H+H seeking to close another facility. To make matters worse, H+H turned away formerly homeless residents in need of supportive housing that would have helped fill beds in a vacant wing. These formerly homeless New Yorkers were welcomed by local elected officials and Roosevelt Island residents who wanted to do our part to help the homeless, only to see H+H refuse to help.
H+H provides a safety net for our city's most vulnerable patients providing the highest quality of health care at a low cost, making them competitive with private hospitals and the burgeoning medical tourism industry. To think New Yorkers are not treating life threatening medical conditions or traveling oversees to afford it, when H+H should be competing for patients and making money.
The best use of this city owned land is to save lives and provide medical services for those who otherwise couldn't afford them. The last thing Roosevelt Island need is more luxury housing in place of Coler.
RIOC President Susan Rosenthal adds:
RIOC does not have any information regarding a possible sale of Coler.
UPDATE 11/25 - Council Member Kallos says:
If a list exists of city properties that are currently in use but are somehow on the auction block than it literally means our city is for sale to the highest bidder and that's not how government should work!
Coler opened in 1952 serving all who needed rehabilitation and/or long term medical care. It has remained a facility part of the NYC Health + Hospitals. Coler is one of 4 long term facilities in the city network. Coler has provided a home for hundreds of New Yorkers who have medical needs for long tern care. An important aspect of Coler is the wonderful care that dementia and Alzheimer's patients receive in specialized units. Coler has a devoted staff , many who have worked there for decades. The Therapeutic Recreation Department and many others provide services to residents from arts program, poetry, music and many more.
Coler has never had the recognition that Goldwater did, until it was closed in 2013. Coler is now licensed as a long term care facility, not a hospital.
The administration of Coler readily admits that the facility is out dated with 4 bedded rooms with no private facilities. Coler suffered severe damage in Hurricane Sandy and the City spend $93,000,000 rebuilding the entire infrastructure. The hospital is in the zone for mandatory evacuation in case of another 100 year storm. In he meantime all medical systems have been rebuilt and are above the first floor, protecting the building from further damage.
As a member of the Coler Community Advisory Board for many years, we have heard the rumors many times. It may be that the lure of the real estate market is tempting the city. No officials of H+H will publicly discuss the future of Coler. When the State of New York leased the island in `1969, the two hospital campuses were not leased, remaining City property.
Let us hope that the residents stay where they are comfortable and at home on our island.
The Roosevelt Island Operating Corp (RIOC) Real Estate Advisory Committee is meeting tomorrow. According to RIOC:
PLEASE TAKE NOTICE that a meeting of the Real Estate Development Advisory Committee of the RIOC Board of Directors
will be held on Tuesday, November 17, 2015 at 5:00 p.m. at the RIOC administrative office, 591 Main Street, Roosevelt Island, New York.
Agenda:
Review of Extension of Grant Support for the Roosevelt Island Youth Program Through 4th Quarter of Fiscal Year Ending 3/31/2016.
Discussion of Memorandum of Understanding to be Negotiated in Connection With the Coler Hospital Flood Mitigation Plan.
Any Other Committee Business That May be Brought Before the Committee
***
The Open Meetings Law of the State of New York requires that all public bodies conduct meetings, convened for the purpose of officially conducting public business, in a manner open to attendance by the general public to observe and listen.
One plan would build a high wall around the perimeter of the hospital's footprint 5 feet from its wall. The second plan would elevate the shoreline surrounding the hospital.
NYCHHC and the Mayor's Office wish to elevate the shoreline surrounding Coler Hospital. RIOC's permission is required to do so.
Not known yet is the obligations and responsibilities of RIOC, nor the impact on the entire Roosevelt Island community and infrastructure, under the plan to elevate the shoreline only around Coler Hospital.
The Roosevelt Island Operating Corp (RIOC) Operations Advisory and Real Estate Advisory Committees will be holding a joint meeting later today. According to RIOC
PLEASE TAKE NOTICE that a joint meeting of the Operations Advisory and Real Estate Advisory Committees of the RIOC Board of Directors will be held on Monday, November 9, 2015 at 5:30 p.m. at the Manhattan Park Community Center, 8 River Road, Roosevelt Island, New York.
AGENDA:
1. Discussion of New York Public Library Plans for 504 Main Street.
2. Discussion of Resiliency Plan for North Section of Roosevelt Island.
3. Any Other Committee Business That May be Brought Before the Committees.
***
The Open Meetings Law of the State of New York requires that all public bodies conduct meetings, convened for the purpose of officially conducting public business, in a manner open to attendance by the general public to observe and listen.
The October 22 RIOC Board of Directors meeting had a brief review regarding the future of the Coler Parking Lot (video of full meeting here). RIOC Director Margie Smith summarized the October 13 RIOC Operations Advisory Committee meeting (audio web cast here) discussion on Coler Parking lot. Ms Smith reported on jurisdictional issues
Image Of RIOC And Coler Hospital Owned Area
between RIOC and NYC Health & Hospitals Corp regarding the parking lot and possible additional green park space for portions of the area.
RIOC President Charlene Indelicato added that Coler Hospital would make a presentation to RIOC on a Resiliency Plan for the area.
Here's the RIOC Board meeting discussion on Coler Parking Lot
and full October 13 Operations Advisory Committee meeting discussion. RIOC President Charlene Indelicato said near the end of the meeting (at the 19 minute mark) about Coler Parking lot:
... To take something away from people is always hard. Its harder than anything. This they see it as they used it all these years. There's some kind of agreement over the years. No one is quite certain what it was and now we want to use a portion of it and even that is difficult. We have to learn to work with each other and both give a little bit...
RIOC Director Margie Smith added that Coler Hospital:
... has not been a good neighbor as far as keeping it clean and safe. It was a mess....
More on the NYPL new Roosevelt Island Branch scheduled to open in 2018 at this May 2015 post.
Ms Smith reviewed the status of the following issues at the October 22 RIOC Board meeting.
New Tram Station Elevator work - bankruptcy issues of vendor appear to have been resolved but still another month before design work can resume.
Coler Hospital Parking Lot - Discussion of area jurisdictional issues and possible new green space for portion of the area. RIOC President Indelicato added that RIOC is meeting with NYC on an East River Resiliency Plan for perimeter of area and scheduling a presentation to RIOC Board on subject, (more on this issue to report coming up).
Installation of Red Bus Bench at Manhattan Park across from Gristedes.
Possible Location For Red Bus Bench In Front Of Manhattan Park 10 River Road
To date, Manhattan Park refuses to allow a Red Bus bench to be installed on Main Street in front of 10 River Road said RIOC's Cy Opperman. Ms Smith suggested having Roosevelt Island Seniors wait for Red Bus in the 10 River Road lobby if Manhattan Park will not allow a bench outside the building.
Fixing the Red Bus Turnaround near Gristedes.
RIOC Engineering Department Director John Bost reports a continuing drainage problem in the area. Also, Mr. Opperman said the turnaround was not designed to handle the larger and heavier Red Buses now in use.
Here's the full Operations Advisory Committee Report
PLEASE TAKE NOTICE that a meeting of the Operations Advisory Committee of the RIOC Board of Directors will be held on Tuesday, October 13, 2015 at 5:30 p.m. at the RIOC administrative office, 591 Main Street, Roosevelt Island, New York.
AGENDA:
1. Review of Current Projects
2. Discussion of the Lot Behind the Coler Hospital
3. Discussion of the Lighthouse Park
4. Any Other Committee Business That May be Brought Before the Committee
***
The Open Meetings Law of the State of New York requires that all public bodies conduct meetings, convened for the purpose of officially conducting public business, in a manner open to attendance by the general public to observe and listen.
The RIOC Operations Advisory Committee earlier this year discussed need to clean up the Coler Parking lot area and jurisdictional issues regarding whether RIOC or NYC Health & Hospitals Corp controls the area.
Also, the RIOC Governance Committee will meet on Thursday October 15. According to the Agenda:
PLEASE TAKE NOTICE that a meeting of the Governance Committee of the RIOC Board of Directors will be held on Thursday, October 15, 2015 at 5:30 p.m. at the RIOC administrative office, 591 Main Street, Roosevelt Island, New York.
AGENDA
Chair's Motion for Executive Session to Discuss the Employment History of Particular Person(s).
Any Other Committee Business That May be Brought Before the Committee.
***
The Open Meetings Law of the State of New York requires that all public bodies conduct meetings, convened for the purpose of officially conducting public business, in a manner open to attendance by the general public.
Executive session means that the meeting will be closed to the public.
An audio web cast will be available of both meetings shortly after taking place.
Roosevelt Island is a mixed income, racially diverse waterfront community situated in the East River of New York City between Manhattan and Queens and is jurisdictionally part of Manhattan. The Roosevelt Island Tramway, which connects Roosevelt Island to the rest of Manhattan, has become the iconic symbol of Roosevelt Island to its residents.
The Purpose of this Blog is to provide accurate and timely information about Roosevelt Island as well as a forum for residents to express opinions and engage in a dialogue to improve our community.
