Advocates unveil renderings of reimagined SUNY Downstate facility
Brooklyn for Downstate, a coalition of community members, faith leaders, health care workers and union members, released new architectural renderings Thursday.
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As the future of SUNY Downstate University Hospital remains uncertain, a local advocacy group is unveiling its vision for what a revitalized facility could look like.
Brooklyn for Downstate, a coalition of community members, faith leaders, health care workers and union members, released new architectural renderings Thursday.
The images showcase a modernized hospital with updated trauma and labor units, private patient rooms, a new dialysis center and revamped waiting areas.
"We demand nothing short of a fully operational and autonomous SUNY Downstate Hospital, with complete and improved inpatient services that our community deserves," said Redetha Abraham-Nichols, a leader with Brooklyn for Downstate.
For more than a year, the group has organized rallies and public forums, emphasizing the importance of the hospital to the surrounding community.
In December, it released a report outlining the negative impact closing the hospital would have on Brooklyn residents and offered solutions to keep it operational.
Those recommendations include downsizing to 250 beds while modernizing the facility.
With an April deadline looming for the hospital’s future, advocates say progress from the state-appointed board tasked with developing a financial plan has been slow. The group hopes the new renderings will pressure officials to act.
"We urge the governor, we urge SUNY, we urge the state of New York to listen," said Bishop Orlando Findlayter, working with the coalition. "We are frankly doing your job by presenting these plans and making it easier for you. So partner with us."
Brooklyn for Downstate estimates the revitalization project could cost around $1 billion. The state has allocated $750 million in capital funding through 2026.
Gov. Kathy Hochul last year pledged to keep the hospital open through April 2025, but what happens after that remains unclear.
The board overseeing the hospital’s future held its first public hearing in January. The next hearing is scheduled for Feb. 27 at Medgar Evers College.
