WPCNR East Ender. By John F. Bailey. November 12, 2004: The Italian Hospital Society, the organized labor-supported health organization responsible for building the first Italian Hospital in Manhattan, catering to New York’s immigrant population in the late 1930s, held an organization meeting at Antonio Meucci Lodge Thursday evening to acquire community support throughout Westchester County for creation of an Italian Home for the Aged in White Plains on the St.Agnes Hospital property off North Street.
How Italian Home for the Aged would be placed on the St. Agnes Hospital Site: Architect's rendering of facility is in left center of sketch. Existing hospital buildings at right would be renovated for various stages of aged care. (View is looking West.) Thomas Carvel Children's Rehabilitation Unit would stay in service in the foreground (arrow bottom of picture). Under present Dormitory "Auction Package", the Children's Rehab Center built with a multi-million dollar gift from Tom Carvel, the Carvel soft ice cream founder, could be razed by real estate speculators, the Carvel Center perpetuity is not guaranteed by the Dormitory Authority auction arrangement, according to the Italian Hospital Society organizers, one of the advantages, they say of the Society acquiring the property. The Home for the Aged would be built on the site of the abandoned convent behind the Carvel building. (North Street runs along the bottom of the photo.) Photo by WPCNR News.
The group sees the assisted living facility as being an excellent use of the abandoned convent site on the St. Agnes Hospital property on North Street. It also plans to renovate the existing idle hospital buildings there, to serve progressive tiers of aged care, assisted, and tertiary and end-of-life care.
Carvel Children's Unit Could be Torn Down, Not Protected by Dorm Authority.
Another benefit to their acquiring the St. Agnes site, would be to continue the existence of the Thomas Carvel Children’s Rehabilitation Center. Contrary to what the public has been lead to believe by the State Dormitory Authority, the Carvel Center would have to negotiate its right to continue operating from any future high bidder who would acquire the St. Agnes property, according Dr. Domenico Mignone.
Mignone said a real estate developer acquiring the property for housing, for example, could simply tear down the Carvel center if they wished, because it is part and parcel of the Dormitory Authority offering of the property.
Grassroots Movement Begins Tentatively November 22
A group of fourteen persons met with Dr. Mignone, former Director of Juvenile Patient Services at St. Agnes Hospital, and Ernesto Mattace, Jr., Vice President and Political Director of the Local 338, Retail Wholesale & Chain Store Food Employees Union, who are joint-chairing the effort for the Italian Hospital Society.
Italian Hospital Society and members of the Antonio Meucci Lodge meeting Thursday evening at the Lodge on Maple Avenue in White Plains. Photo by WPCNR News
Mattace said there would be widespread labor support for the home which he felt would also supply funds to build the project. Mignone said the facility would cost $100 Million to construct, including acquisition of the property from the Dormitory Authority, and construction of the residential facility, and renovation of existing hospital buildings for end-of-life care.
The committee organizing the effort decided to call a meeting with other Presidents of the Sons of Italy Chapters throughout the County tentatively scheduled for November 22 at the Meucci Lodge in White Plains. Committee members will also reach out to other labor and civic associations to gather their support for the project.
Will Not Get $38 Million for it.
Dr. Mignone said the St. Agnes property, currently scheduled to be auctioned off to the highest bidder by the State Dormitory Authority, which foreclosed on it six months ago, taking the property back from the Catholic Church, its former operators, is not worth the $38 Million the Dormitory is asking for it.
Dr. Domenico Mignone, Spearheading the Italian Home for the Aged last night. Photo by WPCNR News.
He said the Italian Hospital Society hoped to acquire it for actual real property value, (estimated at $10 Million, as presently zoned), and have it rezoned for hospital use. The special permit allowing St. Agnes Hosptial to operate as a hospital there expired when the hospital was foreclosed upon by the Dormitory, he said.
Mignone said Mayor Joseph Delfino of White Plains was supportive of the project, as was State Senator Nick Spano, and Assemblyman Richard Brodsky.
Request to Put Off Auction.
Mignone said the Society is hopeful after generating grassroots support in the next two weeks, of convincing the Governor, and the Dormitory Authority, and state senators and assemblypersons to throw the site open for Requests for Proposals for use of the property, and postpone the auction, so the Society could acquire the property without getting into a competitive bidding war with other organizations. That failing, Mignone said the Society would attempt the bidding if necessary.
Dr. Mignone said there was not a date set for the auction of the property as yet, expecting the Society had about two months in which to gather state administration support for the project.
A Need for an Italian Heritage-sensitive home, open to all.
Mignone noted that a home catering to the special needs of aging Italians is needed, because as the Italian population ages, the earlier memories become more vivid to the elderly, who tend to lapse back into their native language, customs and traditions, which Mignone said would be incorporated into the home’s atmosphere, cuisine, and care.
Artist's Rendering of the Home. Photo by WPCNR News.
Mignone and Mattace said that whether or not the Society was able to obtain the St. Agnes site, would not matter, that another site was already under consideration, should the St. Agnes property not be possible to obtain.
A dinner is being held this Sunday at the V.I.P. Country Club in New Rochelle to kick off fundraising for the project, which will honor John Ahern, Business Manager of the International Union of Operating Engineers Local 30; Stuart Applebaum, President, Retail, Wholesale & Department Store Union; and Giannandrea Falchi, Bank of Italy representative in the United States. For information on the dinner, contact Dr. Mignone at 1-914-776-2778. The Italian Hospital Society website is at www.italianhospitalsociety.com.
