Officials from the Mohawk Valley Health System (MVHS) and The Community Foundation of Herkimer and Oneida Counties released a consultant’s findings and recommended potential reuse options for the three main MVHS campuses: St. Luke’s, St. Elizabeth and Faxton.
In February 2019, MVHS announced its decision to work with CHA Consulting, Inc., an international engineering consulting firm to perform a comprehensive evaluation of the potential repurposing of current MVHS facilities.
CHA’s scope of services for the study included five broad components for the three MVHS campuses: market research and analysis, zoning analysis, hazardous material assessment, preliminary conditions assessment and redevelopment scenario analysis. Incorporating these components into the repurposing project will help MVHS develop a plan for the facilities that fits in with the long-term development goals of the surrounding municipalities and ensures that the three locations continue to contribute to the area economy.
MVHS, The Community Foundation and CHA Consulting, Inc., engaged with neighboring businesses, residents, young professionals, community organizations and elected officials to solicit feedback on the best potential uses for the facilities.
CHA prepared facility assessments for the St. Luke’s, St. Elizabeth and Faxton campuses, summarizing each location’s zoning regulations, environmental assessments and the general condition of the facilities’ electrical, plumbing and fire suppression systems. The repurposing report also examines each building’s mechanical and architectural features necessary to understand options and potential for redevelopment and adaptive reuse.
CHA’s study determined that:
- The St. Luke’s Campus, located at 1656 Champlin Avenue, New Hartford, offers a variety of redevelopment options such as housing for educational institutions and/or related mixed-use development of retail or restaurant space.
- Best potential redevelopment uses for the St. Elizabeth Campus, 2209 Genesee Street, Utica, include small retail/office space, and housing. The road frontage along Genesee Street makes the campus attractive for housing and mixed-use options.
- Given split zoning and size of existing parcels, together with the use of the facility as currently operated by MVHS, Faxton Campus redevelopment options would be limited for any future owner. Therefore, CHA recommended that Faxton remain owned and operated by MVHS.
“The findings in this report are an important step in ensuring that the existing MVHS campuses continue to enhance their neighborhoods, either through appropriate redevelopment or, in the case of Faxton, as a part of MVHS’s regional commitment to healthcare,” said Bob Scholefield, executive vice president of facilities and real estate. “We will use this report as the basis for exploring the best possible outcomes, as we engage residents and other constituents in this process.”
