Mohawk Valley EDGE accepting proposals for St. Luke’s campus reuse

NEW HARTFORD, N.Y. — Mohawk Valley EDGE has opened a request for proposals (RFP) for the repurposing of the St. Luke’s campus once Mohawk Valley Health System (MVHS) moves to the new Wynn Hospital this fall.

Mohawk Valley EDGE, Oneida County, MVHS, and the town of New Hartford are working together to redevelop the property.

“As we anticipate the opening of the state-of-the-art Wynn Hospital this fall, ensuring that the St. Luke’s campus is repurposed in the most comprehensive manner is imperative,” Oneida County Executive Anthony J. Picente, Jr. said in a press statement.

The RFPs will allow stakeholders to evaluate the current state of the facilities and determine the best way to transform it into a new community asset. Their vision is for the reuse of the campus to create a modern, smart-city-enabled, pedestrian-friendly, mixed-use environment. Public participation will also be part of the process to help shape the vision.

“Taking this important step together, with a shared vision for ensuring the hospital campus continues to serve this community well, is important to us,” MVHS President/CEO Darlene Stromstad said. “Much is possible in the Mohawk Valley, and this property is a valuable asset for future growth and opportunity.”

The first RFP is for a facilities study of the campus, including an analysis of the structural, environmental, and physical-plant conditions, along with the feasibility and cost for the demolition or adaptive reuse of the campus. The Center for Rehabilitation and Continuing Care Services will remain at its current location on the campus.

“The sheer scale, favorable geography, and vast potential of the St. Luke’s medical campus presents our community with a rare and exciting opportunity. The site’s proximity to residential neighborhoods, commercial districts, and educational institutions opens the door to a wide spectrum of possibility and future uses,” Mohawk Valley EDGE President Steven DiMeo said.

The second RFP is for a reuse master plan. The redevelopment strategy will consider environmental conditions, pre-demolition planning, rationalization of existing infrastructure, civic engagement, conceptual site planning, market analysis, budgeting, and potential environmental and community impacts of any redevelopment scenarios.

For both RFPs, it’s assumed there is limited, if any, potential for reuse of the main hospital building with an expectation it will be demolished. Selected consultants are expected to complete studies, assessments, and civil engineering related to demolition/deconstruction planning and design.

Once consultants for each RPF are in place, there will be a number of stakeholder meetings and public presentations to discuss approach, solicit input, and present findings.

Mohawk Valley EDGE issues the first RFP on July 20 with proposal due by Aug. 31. It will issue the second proposal on July 28 with a Sept, 7 due date. Oneida County is providing the funding for both consultants selected.

The RFPs are available online at www.mvedge.org/2023/06/16/st-lukes-campus-reuse/.

“The town of New Hartford is excited to be a key stakeholder in the repurposing of the St. Luke’s campus,” Town Supervisor Paul Miscione said, adding the project will support additional positive financial success for the town’s future.

MVHS and EDGE are working with the city of Utica and the Utica Industrial Development Agency to repurpose and redevelop MVHS’s St. Elizabeth campus.