Statement in Opposition to Northwell Health's Lenox Hill Expansion Proposal

MARCH 21, 2025

Manhattan Community Board 8

505 Park Avenue, Suite 620

New York, NY 10022

Dear Manhattan Community Board 8 Chair and Members,

The City Club of New York stands in firm opposition to Northwell Health’s proposed expansion of Lenox Hill Hospital and fully supports the statement submitted by FRIENDS of the Upper East Side, The New York Landmarks Conservancy, CIVITAS, and Carnegie Hill Neighbors. This proposal is grossly out of scale and threatens the carefully calibrated zoning protections that have preserved the character and livability of this neighborhood for decades.

Northwell’s plan to construct a 436-foot hospital tower with massive floorplates exceeding those of any other hospital in the area represents a radical departure from the contextual zoning that has shaped Park and Lexington Avenues and the surrounding midblocks. The proposal requires an extensive upzoning that would set a dangerous precedent for unchecked institutional expansion across the city.

While we recognize the need for modernized medical facilities, the Upper East Side is already home to world-class hospitals that serve the community effectively within the bounds of existing zoning. There is no justification for an 80% increase in building density when the expansion yields only 25 new beds. The environmental, infrastructure, and quality-of-life consequences of such an oversized development—combined with an 11-year construction timeline—are entirely unreasonable.

Moreover, this plan disregards the historical and architectural significance of existing hospital buildings that are integral to the neighborhood’s heritage. The proposed demolition of structures such as the Achelis and West Buildings (1916, I.E. Ditmars) and the Einhorn Building (1937, York & Sawyer) erases an important chapter of Yorkville’s history.

For more than a century, the City Club has championed sound, context-sensitive planning as a pillar of responsible urban development. This proposal violates that principle. A redevelopment of Lenox Hill Hospital must align with existing zoning, prioritize transparency, respect neighborhood history, and minimize disruption to the surrounding community.

We urge Manhattan Community Board 8, the City Planning Commission and elected officials to reject this proposal in its current form and demand a revised plan that adheres more closely to as-of-right zoning. We further ask that Northwell explore alternative construction methods and design approaches that meet their expansion goals without compromising the neighborhood’s character and quality of life.

This community deserves better. New York’s zoning protections must not be rewritten to serve institutional overreach at the expense of livability.

Sincerely,

Layla Law-Gisiko

President, City Club of New York

Photo Credit: Jim Henderson