As the required environmental review process for #mvhsdowntown took another step on June 7, 2018, more than 125 persons–most of them from the area’s building trades unions–showed up outside the hearing venue to demonstrate their support for the project.

After several days of urging its 4,000 Facebook group members to turn out in force–“show them that we’re not a paper tiger”–“no hospital downtown” attracted about two dozen persons to the outside demonstrations, a few of them holding up signs.
During a two-hour Utica Planning Board meeting in the State Office Building, about 30 people offered formal comments. The Planning Board will accept written comments on the draft scoping document–available at http://cityofutica.com/departments/urban-and-economicdevelopment/planning/mvhs-seqra/index–until June 20. Written comments should be sent to: bthomas@cityofutica.com.
This latest step in the #mvhsdowntown process came as more than 40% of property owners in the project footprint have signed purchase option agreements with MVHS. Negotiations with most of the remaining owners are ongoing.