UTICA BOARD APPROVES SALE OF KENNEDY GARAGE TO MVHS

UTICA –Utica Mayor Robert M. Palmieri announced that the City of Utica’s Urban Renewal Agency has approved the sale of Kennedy Parking Garage to Mohawk Valley Health System for $1.5 million.

The URA Board voted unanimously today to approve the sale, which will now need to be approved by the Common Council. If the sale is finalized, the garage will become a part of the campus being built to serve the Wynn Hospital, which is set to open in October.

Kennedy, constructed in 1969, consists of 595 total parking spaces (including the deck),

of which only 100 are currently utilized. The city’s most recent estimates to repair

Kennedy is over $13 million. Coupled with the $1.5 million purchase offer, the sale would yield a nearly $15 million benefit to Utica taxpayers.

Kennedy was previously the subject of a sale agreement between the City of Utica and a private development firm, but the sale was never finalized. Now, under the control of MVHS, Kennedy will serve as an important piece in the development of the new downtown hospital. In 2019, a structural engineer determined that building additional layers of parking was feasible.

Mayor Palmieri said: “This is an exciting day for Utica’s continued transformation.

The selling of Kennedy Garage is a win-win for our entire community. The sale will facilitate the operations of this crucial downtown district while also saving money to taxpayers. The partnership between the City of Utica and MVHS will remain strong and the Wynn Hospital will be an invaluable asset to our shared future.”