NYCEDC And Borough President James Oddo Announce New York City’s First Planned Wellness Community in Staten Island
Planning framework for Old Sea View Hospital campus integrates medical care, health-focused retail, community facilities, housing and open space Sea View Healthy Community will be first publicly supported development of its kind in the U.S.
Aug 16, 2016
NYCEDC President Maria Torres-Springer, Staten Island Borough President James Oddo and NYC Health + Hospitals President and CEO Dr. Ram Raju today released planning framework for Sea View Healthy Community, the first health-focused, mixed-use development in New York City. In an effort to create holistic solutions to address chronic, non-communicable diseases, the project will integrate medical care, health-focused retail, community facilities, open space, and housing for diverse populations such as seniors and people with disabilities.
Sea View Healthy Community will be constructed on the site of the Old Sea View Hospital campus on Staten Island, which was built nearly a century ago as an innovative approach to dealing with the tuberculosis epidemic of the time. To help make this vision a reality, the City has committed to make capital funds available to support infrastructure investments within the campus, making the Sea View Healthy Community the first publicly planned and funded mixed-use health development of its kind in the country.
“Sea View Healthy Community is not just the first health-focused, mixed-use campus in the city, it will be the first publicly planned and supported healthy community in the country,” said NYCEDC President Maria Torres-Springer. “And what better place to build it than the Sea View campus, which pioneered a holistic approach to healthcare for previous generations of New Yorkers. This extraordinary project will improve the quality of life for thousands of Staten Islanders, and keep New York City as a national leader in pioneering approaches to public health.”
“Today marks a tangible step forward and demonstrable proof that we have moved from what was once merely a vision crafted when I got to Borough Hall in 2014 to a priority project for the de Blasio Administration. This community of care is going to happen, and Staten Island will be a much healthier place because if it,” said Staten Island Borough President James Oddo.
“We are pleased to work with the Borough President and the EDC to build a healthier Staten Island. We fully support this ambitious plan to address the needs of growing senior population and special needs children, which will supplement the care and services we deliver at NYC Health + Hospitals/Sea View, our five star nursing facility on the campus,” said Dr. Ram Raju, NYC Health + Hospitals President and CEO. “This ambitious plan aligns with our resident-centered approach to care for our long-term care patients, fostering a greater sense of community.”
With roughly 90 total acres of buildable land, the Sea View campus presents opportunities for innovative development that integrates active design and healthy lifestyle options. The Sea View Healthy Community planning framework seeks to improve access to physical activity, healthy foods, social engagement and healthy environments through a number of uses, including:
Medical: New medical office space, a wellness center with physical and occupational therapy, and improved medical uses for existing tenants, Camelot and the Grace Foundation.
Retail: A mix of retail spaces, including community farms, health food grocers, farm-to-table restaurants and cafes to support both campus residents and visitors.
Residential: A new residential development to provide housing for diverse populations such as seniors and people with disabilities.
Community Facilities & Open Space: New, accessible community facilities, plazas, green space and connections to hiking and biking trails for residents to incorporate physical activity, social engagement and cultural events into their daily lives.
The Sea View master planning process included market analysis, infrastructure assessment, and examination of how best to incorporate existing landmarked buildings on the site, with half of the funding for the feasibility study provided by NYC Health + Hospitals. Conclusions from the analyses were consistent with growing consensus in the public health industry that lifestyle and environmental factors are often a greater cause of chronic disease than a lack of access to medical care. Later this year, NYCEDC will release a formal Request for Expressions of Interest (RFEI) in order to solicit specific development proposals that meet the goals outlined in the Sea View master plan.
The historic Sea View Hospital opened in 1913 and focused on treating tuberculosis patients with fresh air, rest and a nutritious diet−the only prescribed treatments at the time. The hospital was also the site of the first clinical trials for hydrazides treatments, which ultimately led to the cure of the disease. The hospital gradually ceased operations in the late 1950’s, after the cure was discovered.
For more information on the Sea View Healthy Community, visit: http://www.nycedc.com/project/sea-view-healthy-community.