FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: August 6th, 2025
POWERS CONTACT: Emma Johnson
ejohnson@council.nyc.gov
347-864-4925
Lenox Hill Hospital Rezoning Approved by City Council Committees
The redevelopment plan will revitalize a hospital serving 144,000 patients annually
NEW YORK – Today, the proposed redevelopment plan for Lenox Hill Hospital passed the Land Use Committee in the City Council, allowing the proposal to head to the full Council for a vote. The plan would transform an aging healthcare facility into a modern, safe, and efficient hospital that can provide the best care possible for New Yorkers.
The new hospital will feature a 370’ tower that includes an expanded emergency department, state-of-the-art operating rooms, a dedicated Mother-Baby Hospital, a new drive-through ambulance bay within the footprint of the hospital, and more than $27 million in community investments in public transit, streetscape improvements, funding for sanitation, and support for the nearby Wagner Middle School. In order to reduce the overall height of the building, some operations have been shifted to the midblock, which will reach no more than 235’ tall.
The final plan is the result of years of community advocacy and work by Council Member Powers to reduce the original proposed size of the building, as well as an onerous construction timeline that would have resulted in over a decade of disruptive construction. The original plan included a 516’ building, with a 490’ residential tower.
Council Member Powers has long been in agreement with the community that the original proposal was drastically out of scale with the neighborhood, and convened a task force with the Manhattan Borough President to reduce the height and construction timeline. The plan that passed the committee today is the outcome of many conversations with Northwell Health, who revised the proposal, first to 436’, and finally to 370’.
In addition to the services at Lenox Hill Hospital itself, Northwell Health will expand behavioral services through the creation of a new Upper East Side outpatient center for mental health at the nearby Manhattan Eye, Ear, & Throat Hospital.
The project will not only revitalize an aging hospital, but also makes crucial investments in the community at large. Northwell Health has previously announced that they will provide $20 million for a new elevator and entrance on the southbound platform of the 6 line at 77th Street. Council Member Powers has also secured funding totaling $7.5 million for:
- $5 million towards a new elevator on the northbound platform on the 6 line at 77th St
- $800,000 for 10 years of additional sanitation services in the neighborhood
- $500,000 to fund the Science Lab at Wagner Middle School
- $500,000 to improve the streetscape and beautify the neighborhood, including new trees
- $300,000 for new health screenings and wellness information events throughout Community Board 8
- $200,000 for rodent abatement in the Lenox Hill area
- $150,000 for homelessness outreach
- $100,000 for programming for New York City Public School students
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