Parks Host
’Running
of the
Fishes
In Bronx River
New medical facility being proposed for Co-op City
BY PATRICK ROCCHIO
A parking matter was
discussed in a preliminary
presentation by developers
concerning a new proposed
six-story medical building in
Co-op City before Community
Board 10’s Housing and Zoning
Committee on Wednesday,
April 10.
The developer, Simone Development,
is seeking a NYC
Board of Standards and Appeal
permit to reduce the
number of required parking
spaces.
The building would include
three fl oors of parking
and three of medical offi ces
dedicated to primary and pediatric
care.
The fi rst fl oor parking lot
would be utilized by a neighboring
nursing home that
shares the same zoning lot at
801 Co-op City, according to
the community board presentation.
Montefi ore will operate the
medical facility.
At issue during the CB
10 meeting was the number
of new parking spaces that
would be allocated to the medical
facility and just how many
would be needed.
According to the developer’s
presentation, the new garage
would feature 104 new
spaces on the ground level
that would be used by the adjacent
Bay Park Center for Nursing
and Rehabilitation, with
preliminary plans calling for
an additional 89 spaces on the
second fl oor and 84 spaces on
the third for the medical facility.
A Montefi ore spokesperson
said that the medical care provider
is constantly scouting
new opportunities to address
the borough’s health care
needs.
“We have been serving the
Co-op City community for decades
and we are looking to
improve the experience of
care for patients there,” the
spokesperson stated.
She added: “We are excited
to work with Simone Healthcare
Development to bring additional
pediatric and adult
primary care services from
Montefi ore to this location,
in a larger, state-of-the-art
space.”
Joseph Kelleher, Simone
Metro Properties president,
said Montefi ore approached
the developer because its
This is a view of the area near the proposed new Montefi ore medical facility at 801 Co-op City Boulevard. The
developer came before the community board. Schneps Media / Patrick Rocchio
Dreiser Loop clinic needed
major upgrades, so they decided
BRONX TIMES REPORTER, A 6 PRIL 19-25, 2019 BTR
to entirely replace that
facility instead.
The developer will be fi ling
an application with the BSA
to reduce the parking requirement
for the lot, he said.
“In accordance with the architect’s
calculations, Montefi
ore has deemed the reduced
amount of parking as adequate
for the facility,” said Kelleher.
The project will be sent
back to the community board
for further review after it is
calendared at the BSA, said
board member Bob Bieder, who
said he didn’t feel ready to vote
until more specifi cs as to the
amount of patients and cars the
medical facility would attract
are clarifi ed.
Co-op City resident and community
leader, Linda Collins,
asked Kelleher if Montefi ore
would be open to allowing co-op
residents to use spaces in the garage
at night. Kelleher pledged
to relay the message.
Noel Ellison, Co-op City’s
Riverbay Corporation general
manager said he supported
new medical facilities in Co-op
City, but that planning should
be done in a holistic way.
The total size of the proposed
facility is about 54,000 square
feet.