(BROOKLYN, NEW YORK) – A Community Advisory Board is recommending New York State invest nearly $1 billion to modernize Brooklyn’s State University of New York (SUNY) Downstate Hospital, expand its Emergency Department and build a new Ambulatory Surgery Center on the campus, rather than closing the Medical Center as originally planned, The Gothamist reports

Governor Kathy Hochul and the State Legislature established the nine-person Advisory Board on Downstate’s future last year after Hochul faced backlash over an initial plan to replace the Medical Center with an Out-Patient Clinic.

“Central Brooklyn deserves world-class health care and with this historic ($1 billion) investment, we’re securing a brighter, healthier future for SUNY Downstate and the communities it serves,” Hochul said of the Advisory Board’s recommendations.

Hochul is still going over the details of the plan and said she looks forward to “thoroughly reviewing” it, but SUNY Chancellor John King, Jr. said he anticipates it moving forward and is hopeful that renovations can get underway next year.

UUP President Fred Kowal issued the following statement: “Eighteen months ago, the future of Brooklyn’s SUNY Downstate University Hospital was murky and its prospects bleak. But the community and Labor came together and now we have more than $1 billion in capital funding that will be used to renovate the hospital and enhance its inpatient services. We thank Governor Kathy Hochul and the State Legislature for understanding the importance of Downstate University Hospital to the Brooklyn Community and for taking action to secure the Hospital’s future. UUP looks forward to working with the Governor to quickly resolve outstanding labor protection issues as we collaborate to ensure the Hospital’s long-term sustainability.”

UUP - the Nation's largest Higher Education Union, represents more than 42,000 Academic and Professional Faculty and Retirees.

UUP Members are employed at 29 New York State-operated Campuses, including SUNY’s Public Teaching Hospitals and Health Science Centers in Brooklyn, Long Island and Syracuse.

UUP is an affiliate of New York State United Teachers (NYSUT), the American Federation of Teachers (AFT), the National Education Association (NEA), and the AFL-CIO.

For More On This Labor News Story,  Go To: Press Release | Statement by UUP President Frederick E. Kowal regarding SUNY Downstate University Hospital And SUNY Downstate Advisory Board: Spend $1B to modernize the hospital - Gothamist