Dear Members and Friends of the GVCCC,
The closing of Saint Vincent Medical Center has had a devastating effect on the local economy and has been detrimental to the small businesses surrounding the hospital. More than 30 businesses have shut their doors since the closing and many of those that remain are struggling. That is why, after reviewing the proposal and carefully weighing the alternatives, the Greenwich Village-Chelsea Chamber of Commerce (GVCCC) is strongly supportive of the North Shore-LIJ Health System and Rudin Management plan for St. Vincent’s.
The plan to invest more than $110 million to transform Saint Vincent’s O’Toole Building into a comprehensive, free-standing emergency department will provide important medical care and bring a powerful economic engine back to our community.
We, like others in the community, hoped that Saint Vincent Medical Center would be replaced with a full-service hospital and emergency department. However, a year after its closing the challenges of funding and operating such a full-service hospital have proven insurmountable.
The proposed solution will address a very significant aspect of the west side’s healthcare needs, which have been underserved in the wake of Saint Vincent’s closure. With a state-of-the-art, free-standing emergency department, residents, workers, and visitors will not need to travel out of our neighborhood to access emergency and other critical healthcare services.
The proposed emergency department would be designed to accommodate 30,000 emergency patients annually. The building would also house a Comprehensive Care Center (CCC), which includes CT, MRI, digital x-ray, ultrasound, and other critical services. Fully operational, the combined emergency department and CCC will serve as many as 80,000 patients each year.
Additionally, the plan will bring 1,000 quality construction jobs and 400 full-time permanent jobs to the area. These jobs are essential to driving down our city’s unemployment rate and help return lost foot traffic to the area. Workers, patients, and visitors will utilize local services, shop at our stores, and dine in our restaurants.
After a year on life support, the area surrounding the old Saint Vincent Medical Center will not survive much longer. If we do not act now, we will lose more small businesses, continue to limit access to health care for our residents, and squander an opportunity to create quality jobs.
I encourage you to contact your local elected officials and Manhattan Community Board 2 to let them know you support this plan.
Sincerely,
Tony Juliano
Chairperson & President