Mohawk Valley Health System board votes to build new hospital in downtown Utica

UTICA, N.Y. — The board of directors of Mohawk Valley Health System (MVHS) wants to build its new hospital at a site in downtown Utica.

The general area for the location is across from the Utica Auditorium between Oriskany and Columbia Streets, Scott Perra, CEO of MVHS, said in a statement issued Tuesday.

The Mohawk Valley Health System is an affiliation of Faxton St. Luke’s Healthcare (FSLH) and St. Elizabeth Medical Center (SEMC). The two organizations came together in March 2014.

“We recognize that a new hospital downtown can provide a catalyst for the revitalization of the city of Utica and the entire Mohawk Valley. We look forward to working with our governmental partners and local business and community leaders on moving this option forward. Throughout the planning and implementation of this new building, it is critical that MVHS continue to be financially sound and able to provide quality medical care for the entire community,” Perra said in the statement.

The MVHS board had also considered building on the St. Luke’s campus of Faxton St. Luke’s Healthcare, which it said would remain an option for construction if the downtown site “proves not to be financially viable.”

The new hospital would replace the inpatient services currently provided at the St. Luke’s campus of FSLH and at SEMC. MVHS estimates the project will cost between $500 million and $600 million, depending on the location, and will take four to six years to complete.

The New York State Legislature earlier this year approved $300 million in the state budget to help fund a new hospital.