After more than five years of planning and community engagement, The New York City Department of City Planning has certified Northwell Health’s revitalization plans for Lenox Hill Hospital. The project will improve patient care and accommodate emerging medical technology and procedures, ensuring the hospital can provide the best care for future generations of New Yorkers.
The proposal will benefit the Upper East Side and all of New York City by improving health outcomes for Lenox Hill Hospital’s 144,000 annual patients, including through operating rooms that accommodate emerging technology and new industry practices, a right-sized emergency department, single-bed patient rooms and a dedicated mother-baby hospital.
The certification of Lenox Hill Hospital’s application kicks off the Uniform Land Use Review Procedure process. The updated application includes changes to the original plans that reflect five years of community feedback, including 12 community board meetings and consistent engagement with neighbors and other community stakeholders. In response to community priorities, the following key updates were made to the project:
- Shortened construction timeline: The plan offers two options, both significantly reducing the construction timeline: Envelope 1 includes 6 years of external work, while Envelope 2 involves 6.5 years of external work
- Reduced height: Following previous efforts to reduce the building height — including the elimination of the residential building — Northwell Health also included a second proposed building envelope in its ULURP submission, which would decrease the overall building height by shifting density from the Lexington Avenue frontage to the midblock.
- Improved traffic conditions: The ambulance bay along East 77th Street has been redesigned to ease traffic flow by reducing congestion along 77th Street and improving pedestrian safety.
To follow the project’s progress, click here.
