Mayor Announces Additional Appointments to the St. Elizabeth’s Reuse Master Plan Steering Committee
Utica Mayor Robert M. Palmieri today announced a number of new appointments to the steering committee that is guiding the development of a master plan for the reuse of the former St. Elizabeth’s medical center campus. Appointed to the steering committee are Timothy J. Julian, County Legislator (19th district); Joseph Betar, Common Council Representative-elect; and South Utica homeowners Donald D. MacAnn and Ronald A. Cuccaro. Additionally, Mayor Palmieri has asked that Legislator Julian and Councilor-elect Betar name one additional property owner from the South Utica neighborhood to the committee. Finally, the Mayor appointed himself and Councilwoman Celeste Friend as continuing members of the committee after the end of their term in office.
In July, Mayor Palmieri announced that a consultant team led by Rupp Pfalzgraf had been hired to guide the master reuse planning process. The team has had considerable experience in guiding the reuse process for a number of similarly sized hospital facilities across upstate New York. Together with the steering committee and its partners, the City of Utica and Mohawk Valley Health System (MVHS), the first opportunity for public input into the plan was held last week at the Parkway Recreation Center.
The existing steering committee is comprised of representatives of the City, the Utica Industrial Development Agency, MVHS and Mohawk Valley EDGE, including:
- Mayor Robert Palmieri
- Robert Scholefield, MVHS
- Steve DiMeo, MV EDGE
- Vin Gilroy, UIDA
- Brian Thomas, City of Utica
- John Furner, MVHS
- Christopher Lawrence, MV EDGE
- Jack Spaeth, UIDA
Mayor Robert M. Palmieri said: “The initial opportunity for public comment into the plan was well received by the neighborhood and was a great start to the planning process. From the very beginning, I have maintained that the voice of the neighborhood will be a key component in the direction that this process takes. After speaking with many of the residents at the public meeting, the main concern revolved around representation of the neighborhood on the steering committee; these appointments address that concern and I believe that the plan and the process will both benefit from the involvement of these individuals.”
