The Oneida Daily Dispatch (Oneida, NY)
Officials tout new healthcare campus
Officials say new hospital will be a boon for the region
UTICA, N.Y. » Mohawk Valley Health Systems and its supporters outlined relocation assistance for property owners in the footprint of the new regional healthcare campus in downtown Utica.
MVHS Executive Vice President Robert Scholefield said the project is of an unprecedented magnitude, with the primary mission of delivering state-ofthe-art healthcare to the region and redevelopment of the downtown Utica area.
“With that in mind, our project is working with a group of public and private partners collaborating to address critical aspects of this project, in- cluding assistance for property owners in the project footprint,” Scholefield said.
Two major steps have been approved through the MVHS Board of Directors to address the needs and concerns of the property owners. To that end, up to $1 million in relocation funding is available to support businesses looking to relocate within the city of Utica or Oneida County.
Property owners in the footprint will also not be responsible for addressing environmental issues caused by previous owners. MVHS will take care off all necessary remediation once the property has been acquired, Scholefield said.
“It’s important for all of us involved to take care of the property owners and continue to listen to their concerns,” Scholefield said.
Relocation assistance will be determined on a case-by-case basis, Scholefield said. MVHS and Bond, Schoeneck and King law firm will handle property acquisition.
To help affected businesses, The Community Foundation will hire a full-time project coordinator to act as a central point of contact.
The coordinator will also work with MVHS, Mohawk Valley EDGE and community stakeholders on repurposing the St. Elizabeth Medical Center and St. Luke’s campuses.
“Once the coordinator is on board, we will also focus on supporting MVHS’s ongoing work with its design partners by studying the most effective ways to join the new hospital campus with neighborhoods, destinations and services outside the footprint area,” Community Foundation President and CEO Alicia Dicks said. “We’re committed to supporting the downtown project because our community, neighborhoods and our entire region will benefit for generations to come.”
Oneida County Executive Anthony Picente Jr. said county government is just as invested as the city is and pleased with all the partners working together to make this project a reality.
“We are working together.
The county has committed resources, the city obviously has, and we’ll continue to do that throughout this project, Picente said. “This is, as I continue to say, the most important project we are looking at in the terms of healthcare and the issues in this community.”
Not everyone is as thrilled for the new downtown project as officials. Some residents in the project footprint have been vocal about their decision not to move, according to Manager/Media Specialist Caitlin McCann.
“We have been working with them and Bond, Schoeneck and King have been in contact with all of them,” McCann said. “They’re talking with them about their concerns, any reasons why they wouldn’t want to move and if we could come to an agreement with them. That’s where we are right now.”
When asked if eminent domain will be used if residents were adamant about not moving, McCann said that MVHS is still negotiating with property owners and that it’s too early to discuss any process beyond that.
“Should it become necessary, the appropriate authorized government agency will handle it,” McCann said.
Utica Mayor Robert Palmieri is still optimistic about the project and the future of downtown Utica.
“Since its inception, we’ve seen the transformative potential of this project,” Palmieri said. “We look forward to advancing our efforts together to benefit the city, our residents and our region.”