Mineola hospital plans $65M research center

Winthrop-University Hospital plans to break ground in the spring on a new $65-million research pavilion in downtown Mineola to expand its work on diabetes and obesity, hospital officials said this week.

"These conditions represent the epidemic of the 21st century," said Dr. Alan Jacobson, chief research officer at Winthrop.

Hospital spokesman John Broder said other initiatives, including research on cardiopulmonary disease, Lou Gehrig's disease and neurological research, will be consolidated at the institute.

"We want to create a collaborative environment with not only clinical researchers, but basic science researchers," he said.

The center, just north of the Mineola Long Island Rail Road station, is expected to create 45 jobs, he said.

The hospital owns the property on the northwest corner of Mineola Boulevard and Second Street where the four-floor, 95,000-square-foot building will be built.

The research pavilion will replace the hospital's one-floor community outreach center located on that corner.

A 320-seat auditorium in the new building will be used for programs now held at the community center, Broder said.

In September, the Village of Mineola's board of trustees unanimously granted a special permit, site plan and architectural approval. The board found that the project fit in with its master plan and would "enhance the gateway to the village's downtown," according to the board's decision.

Mineola Mayor Scott Strauss called the project "a great opportunity for Mineola" that will help rejuvenate downtown. Construction workers and hospital staff would frequent local businesses, he said.

The village imposed conditions including that the center would not be used in a way that creates a biological safety concern.

The hospital also is not allowed to use primates for research.

Under the village's "development incentive bonus" law, the hospital offered to give the village $1 million in exchange for seeking approvals directly from the board of trustees instead of the lengthier process of appearing before the zoning board of appeals, village planning board and board of trustees.

The money will go toward capital projects such as improvements to address area flooding, Strauss said.

Groundbreaking is planned for March; construction is expected to take about two years.

Winthrop recently added 750 parking spaces at a garage near the train station on Old Country Road, between Fourth and Fifth avenues. Research center employees will park in that lot.