Methodist Expansion Plans Approved By Board Of Standards And Appeals

New York Methodist Hospital’s application for a variance to construct its proposed new Center for Community Health at 505-525 6th Street was approved by a unanimous vote at the city’s Board of Standards and Appeals, though neighbors are still looking at ways to fight the massive construction project.

“Because this project has the potential to forever alter the essential character of Park Slope, we will continue to challenge the New York Methodist Hospital’s efforts and hope to work with elected officials and community leaders to modify the current plan,” Bennett Kleinberg of Preserve Park Slope said in a statement.

The plans have gone through a number of revisions, which were approved by Community Board 6 with some conditions earlier this year, and you can see the most recent revisions here. The new 8-story building, which will house ambulatory and outpatient services and a surgery center, will require the demolition of several buildings and the addition of hundreds of parking spaces in an underground garage, with work expected to begin later this year.

“We were most gratified by the unanimous decision of the (BSA) to grant the variances needed for (the facility),” Lyn Hill, vice president for communication and external affairs at Methodist, said in a statement provided to the Daily News. “For nearly a year, the hospital has worked with our community to advance this project, which will enhance outpatient healthcare for Brooklyn residents, and we have incorporated numerous suggestions and revisions as a result of community input.”

Preserve Park Slope says their next step will be to deal with the New York State Department of Health, which has to grant a Certificate of Need to move forward with this project.

“We believe no such approval should be granted until oversight is in place to weigh in on the broader community benefits of New York Methodist Hospital’s plan,” Kleinberg said.