Overwhelming Attendance at CB2 St. Vincent’s Hearing
I am happy to report that more than 800 people turned out last night for the Community Board 2 public hearing on the St. Vincent’s Hospital/Rudin proposal to demolish nine buildings in the Greenwich Village Historic District to make way for a 1.3 million sq. ft. condo and new hospital development. About 90% of attendees indicated they had serious concerns about the current plan (which can be viewed here).
Because the turnout was so large, and because the public was not given an opportunity to speak until more than an hour and a half into the hearing, many people had to leave without being able to participate. Thank you to everyone who was able to stick around, and we regret that many who tried were not able to participate in last night’s hearing. The Community Board announced they will have a second hearing on this proposal on Monday, February 25th at 6:30 pm, and GVSHP has reached out to the Board to urge that next time the public be given much more time, starting at the beginning of the hearing, to provide their feedback on the proposal.
Nevertheless more than 100 people spoke at last night’s hearing, which lasted for nearly four hours, and by far the majority urged that changes be made to the current plan to make it more compatible with the scale and character of the Greenwich Village Historic District (see GVSHP’s written testimony here). Many also spoke in favor of the the ‘Community Alternative Plan,’ a set of principles supported by a broad cross-section of neighborhood groups (including GVSHP) which seeks to illustrate ways that the hospital could proceed with their modernization plans while responding to community concerns (view here).
In addition to the hundreds of Villagers who turned out, GVSHP is especially grateful to our friends at the citywide Historic Districts Council and neighborhood preservation groups from Chelsea, the East Village, and the Upper West Side who joined us last night in expressing their serious concerns about the precedent which would be set by this proposal, and the impact it would in turn have on their neighborhoods as well. The hearing and concerns about the hospital and Rudin’s plans received very positive coverage on Channel 4 News, in the NY Post and on WNYC.
How To Help:
- We encourage you to send comments on the St. Vincent’s/Rudin proposal to the Community Board and to the elected officials who co-sponsored last night’s hearing. Visit here for sample letters and contact information.
- Save the Date: Please be prepared to come to the new Community Board #2 Public Hearing on Monday February 25, at 6:30 pm (location TBD). We hope that meeting will provide a better and fuller opportunity for public input, and will let you know further details as they become available.
Next: 02/04/08
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