This article was originally published in Crain’s New York.
Northwell’s Lenox Hill Hospital has committed to building a new mental health facility on the Upper East Side so it can win key political endorsement for its controversial $2 billion expansion.
Manhattan Borough President Mark Levine reached a deal with Northwell Health to recommend the city approve its planned medical tower on Lexington Avenue between 76th and 77th streets, signaling his support for a project that has faced community pushback for years, he shared exclusively with Crain’s. As a part of that deal, Northwell agreed to build a new outpatient behavioral health facility to serve up to 30,000 patients annually at 300 E. 62nd St., according to Levine — a new addition to a project that’s expected to cost billions.
The new clinic aims to bolster behavioral health resources in the city, which have diminished as private hospitals eroded beds and community-based care for many years because of financial concerns, Levine, who is running a campaign for city comptroller, said in an interview.
“That’s a trend I’d like to reverse,” Levine said. “A new facility serving this need is a really important step forward.”
Residents of the Upper East Side have firmly resisted Northwell’s planned Lenox Hill expansion, posing barriers to the hospital’s modernization goals. Community members oppose the height of the new medical tower, which could reach up to 436 feet tall, and its nine-year construction timeline that they say will disrupt the flow of the neighborhood.
In addition to the new mental health facility, Northwell has agreed to convene a task force of elected officials and local community board members to oversee complaints about noise, air quality and the timeline of the hospital’s construction project, according to Levine. The borough president asked the hospital to cut back the height and construction time as much as possible, as well as ensure ambulances don’t back out onto the street, but it’s not clear whether Northwell agreed to those conditions.
“I think there is still room for progress on all of those issues,” Levine said.
Dr. Daniel Baker, president of Lenox Hill Hospital, said in a statement that the health system is grateful for Levine’s “thoughtful feedback that will enhance our project and for his endorsement of this essential revitalization.”
“Lenox Hill Hospital stands as a critical health care resource for both the local community and all New Yorkers – now and for future generations,” Baker said.
Though mostly symbolic, the borough president’s blessing marks a positive development for the Lenox Hill expansion amid continued community opposition. Last month the local community board voted down the project because of how tall it is, urging Northwell to cut the building’s height in half to get the community’s consent to move forward. The vote, like the borough president’s, was advisory in nature and not binding, but it signified an early setback.
Northwell has pushed to modernize Lenox Hill since 2019, initially proposing a 500-foot-tall hospital with an adjacent residential building. Community concerns at the time led Northwell to toss out its plans for an apartment building, and it has since proposed two different options to mitigate objections about height, either by building a 436-foot tower or constructing a 395-foot, wider building to fit all necessary medical services.
Levine’s recommendation advances the Lenox Hill Hospital expansion plan to the City Planning Commission, which is expected to decide in the next 60 days whether the development should move forward. If the commission approves the project, it’s expected to go up for a vote in the City Council later this year.
May 15, 2025: This story has been updated with a comment from Dr. Daniel Baker, president of Lenox Hill Hospital.
