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Downtown Hospital Concept "Flips-the-Script"

Their downtown Hospital Concept simply "flips-the-script!"

As referenced below, a number of Utica "districts" have been touted in the last 15 years. Now they are mentioned in the SEQR Process. The City of Utica has twisted the intent and is also working to twist zoning rules; see their June 2018 Zoning Draft.

Utica Master Plans

The Utica Master Plan is being ignored or they're attempting to work around it. This after the disastrous Master Plan Review attempt of 2016.

Downtown Utica's recent 15-year comeback has largely occurred do to small business developers, property redevelopment, and Preservation measures.

Gateway Historic Canal District

The Gateway Historic Canal District Revitalization Plan (Utica, NY) which received an “Honor Award”, from NY Upstate Chapter of the American Society of Landscape Architects.

This study by PJ Smith was done at great expense to city residents (~$200K), and a guide book of building renovations and construction guidelines was also created. The city also drafted-in legislation, and the study went on and used as a basis in the city’s Master Plan (at another expense to residents of ~$400K), see: “Appendix X. Gateway Master Plan Changes Planned for Utica’s Gateway Historic Canal District”. In this one reads...

"With $2.5 million in funding through Governor George Pataki’s Empire Opportunity Fund and the recent announcement of an $11.5 million HOPE VI award by Congressman Sherwood Boehlert, the City of Utica is preparing for sweeping changes throughout the nearly 120-acre section of the City known as the Gateway Historic Canal District."

Also see maps and Downtown Gateway illustrations...

Utica's Gateway Site Plan: 2003

Utica's Downtown Map (Partial) With Hospital Concept Footprint: 2017

While actions over the last four years have worked to hide or nullify these actions, the city and residents were steadily invested into these ideas and concepts.

City Historic Preservation District

City Historic Preservation District, is defined in the City code, Chapter 2-29 Zoning, at City Of Utica Ecode360. The city’s current map is here: Scenic & Historic. Another image shows this map with the Hospital Concept Footprint (Red). This map leaves out buildings listed on the National Historic Register and others that are eligible for it. City Hall has worked to change the zoning and currently working on new zoning code called “CODE GREEN” see funding request at: https://regionalcouncils.ny.gov/cfa/project/140802 and a “draft” on city’s website (PDF dated June 14, 2018) at: http://www.cityofutica.com/Assets/Departments/Urban-and-Economic-Development/PDF-Documents/Zoning-Update/DRAFT%20Zoning%202018_06_14.pdf This is likely all an effort to allow a tall hospital tower and large suburban parking lots that totally conflict with the cities historic character.

Downtown Utica

This 2008 map offers City Of Utica Waypoints: Downtown, Bagg's Square & Brewery Districts (July 2, 2008), clearly defines the "Downtown" and other defined neighborhoods.

See Utica's Downtown Zoning Map (Partial) With Hospital Concept Footprint

From the City 2011 Master Plan, read Chapter Three: Downtown Development

In a failed attempt, the City of Utica sought funding to assembly a "downtown hospital district", see the Utica DRI 2016.

Also, there is the Downtown Utica Microgrid (MG) concept, which named the City Courthouse (36,634 s.f.) and Police Station (30,000 C s.f.) campus as "major critical assets" who signed-on as prospective MG customers.

Downtown Genesee Historic District

Downtown Genesee Historic District, this presumably are the buildings and area running along Genesee Street in Downtown Utica, see map titled “City Of Utica Waypoints...” above. A newspaper article speaks about the “Upper Genesee Street Historic District” in a December 22, 2017 article in the Utica paper: Downtown Utica District Recommended For Historic Designation.

This article also states, "Part of the area along Columbia Street also covers a few properties included in the project area for Mohawk Valley Health System’s downtown hospital."

U District

“U District” is just a concept or “proposal” as acknowledged by our Oneida County Executive Anthony J. Picente, Jr. in this October 2017 interview (see minute 6:05) FULL INTERVIEW with County Executive Anthony Picente (Elected News Exclusive). Also see #NoHospitalDowntown's research here U District.

Bagg's Square

Bagg's Square a “neighborhood" of Utica, as discussed and shown via the Bagg's Square Association’s work here: www.baggssquare.com The area is divided into Bagg’s Square East and Bagg’s Square West. Also see reference A below.

If one only searches “Bagg” in the attached paper, "(RE)IMAGINE ALL THE (RUST BELT) PEOPLE: LIVING LIFE IN TODAY’S POST- INDUSTRIAL UTICA, NEW YORK, page iii, Andrew P. Debraggio, Washington DC, April 21, 2016, offers countless references and reveal that multiple people were invested in old buildings (and continue to) carry out the Master Plan. The concept was that the city was marketing the "reuse, redevelopment, and creation of an environment for small business and downtown living", and not a large, single-use, hospital district.

This 2008 map offers City Of Utica Waypoints: Bagg's Square, July 2, 2008, clearly defines the neighborhood.

For example, one statement offers: “Moreover, emergent vibrant communities have renovated houses and started restaurants, fostering the transmission of culture in the city. Entrepreneurs are investing in neighborhoods like Bagg’s Square, and New York’s state government has incentivized General Electric to return to the area. Younger generations are redefining the city’s Rust Belt character, shifting attitudes and encouraging cultural development. Utica, New York, in the American Rust Belt is enjoying stable economic growth and its residents are increasingly optimistic about its future.”

Additional References & Notations On Downtown

[A] In the last ten to fifteen years downtown's neighborhoods have been noticed. Some were even being newly branded, for example this article Graphic designer working to brand Utica’s neighborhoods...

"So far, we have done extensive work in Bagg’s Square and downtown and we’re in the middle of working on the Brewery District/Varick Street."

From there, we read Officials pleased with feedback from downtown Utica survey, which resulted in- Get to know the new downtown.

The above efforts led to this TEDx Utica Talk: Microbranding Utica Mile by Mile | Michelle Truett.

[B] Another downtown business owner (Nancy Ford) states in, Guest View: A grateful Utican:

"Utica has risen from the ashes of a post-industrial era to a new era that has afforded many people new opportunities. I remember the bustle of downtown in the 60′s, and then lived through the bleakness of years after. I can tell you it feels so different to live here in Utica today. I am grateful to the community leaders who worked to drag Utica out of the past, like Tim Julian and Rob Palmieri, the progressive thinkers who bring big ideas to life, like Michelle McCarrick Truett and #MadeinUtica, and to the entrepreneurs who invested much money and sacrifice and started the trend to move small business downtown, like Tim Hardiman and Francis Pezzolanella."

[C] Also, reading URBAN DEVELOPMENT AND REVITALIZATION RELATED TO CITY AND REGIONAL POLITICS IN UTICA, NEW YORK, By Ross Randolph Pristera, 2009, one reads...

"Chapter Two examines current methods of encouraging revitalization through first looking at three recent revitalization projects, second by describing federal, state, and local government programs that encourage revitalization, and concluding with how these example projects and funding programs are influencing the development of a Comprehensive Master Plan."

[D] Further, the City of Utica Master Plan brochure dated 2011, titled UTICA NEW YORK, A Sustainable Neighborhood-Based Master Plan, A neighborhood-based process to establish the vision and guide for Utica’s future, adopted October 5, 2011 reads...

“The City’s current zoning ordinance is largely based on the Euclidean model which separates the City into district and defines which uses are permitted in each district along with the intensity of development allowed on each parcel (setbacks, height restrictions, floor-area ratios, etc.). The design guidelines adopted by the City of Utica Common Council regarding auto- related uses represents a movement by the City toward a new type of zoning known as form- based zoning. This movement was fully embraced by the City for its Gateway Historic Canal District when the Common Council adopted a form-based code for the District in 2005.“

[E] Another expense of the city was the following study, which was accompanied by other programs to drive redevelopment of downtown living: see RESIDENTIAL MARKET POTENTIAL Downtown Utica City of Utica, Oneida County, New York November, 2005. The hospital concept is TOTAL counter to these plans and investments.

[F] Still further, the City of Utica held downtown marketing sessions. The effort was to attract developers and residents, for example see this 2007 brochure: Upper Floors, Page 1 and Upper Floors, Page 2. These were efforts that began changing the city's downtown. While the transformation has been slow, that is how neighborhoods take root, however the new hospital concept is not in sync with the visions marketed by the City of Utica.

BUT then... we saw “Utica’s" MV500 Bid, where a "select few" placed a hospital concept into downtown. They were aided by politicians and together sought funding without including the community at large. Tellingly the MV500 effort (unsuccessful as it was), hide the concept from Albany AND even from the Utica hospital CEO who was unable to see their hospital concept buried in the application, as he states below...

(page 514 from FOILED emails NoHospitalDowntown.com/oneida-county-hospital-email-dump.php...)

Steve From: Scott Perra [mailto:sperra@mvhealthsystem.org]
Sent: Tuesday, October 06, 2015 2:19 PM
To: Steven DiMeo
Subject: MV500 application

Hi Steve, I just went through the MV 500 application. Nice job to all involved. I am a little surprised, unless I missed it, that MVHS ( the largest non governmental employer in the region with a quarter of a billion dollar annual payroll ) was not mentioned nor was the $ 84 million that has been talked about for the hospital project. Again did I miss it?
Scott H. Perra, FACHE President/CEO
Mohawk Valley Health System Faxton
St. Luke's Healthcare &
St. Elizabeth Medical Center

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No Studies, No Reports, thus we remain #NoHospitalDowntown

Our research is ongoing, please check back. Our research is ongoing, please check back.