SEE: New Health Center To Officially Open At Brooklyn Methodist

PARK SLOPE, BROOKLYN — A major expansion at Brooklyn Methodist Hospital will officially open next week, marking the end of an at-times contentious years-long plan to bring a new health center to the neighborhood.

The six-story Center for Community Health will open its doors on Sixth Street between Seventh and Eighth avenues on Monday, three years after NewYork-Presbyterian officials first began construction on the 400,000-square-foot facility.

The center is the largest ambulatory care facility in Brooklyn and the first major center of its kind built in the last 40 years, according to the hospital.

It includes 12 operating rooms, six procedure rooms, diagnostic imaging, an infusion center and a host of other outpatient services.

“NewYork-Presbyterian Brooklyn Methodist Hospital is committed to improving the health and well-being of the Brooklyn community, and the new Center for Community Health will provide seamless access to high-quality, innovative care, all in one convenient location,” hospital President Robert Guimento said. “Focusing first and foremost on patients’ needs and the delivery of outstanding care, this new building is designed for healing and represents the future of ambulatory care.”

The $445 million expansion was first announced in 2014 as a seven-story building, but faced a lawsuit from neighbors who worried about its size. NewYork-Presbyterian ultimately settled the suit in 2015 by agreeing to drop the seventh floor and create green space around the building, according to reports from the time.

The center will offer treatment for digestive diseases, cardiovascular issues, cancer and other conditions, according to the hospital. It will be staffed by teams of physicians from Weill Cornell Medicine.

The facility has been outfitted with coronavirus safety precautions, including a layout to encourage social distancing, temperature and symptom screenings at the entrance, hand sanitizing stations and frequent cleaning, hospital officials said.

The facility also has a valet-staffed parking facility, grab-and-go café, a conference center and several waiting rooms.

Check out photos of it here, Courtesy of NewYork-Presbyterian: