WPCNR EAST SIDE STORY. By John F. Bailey. January 28, 2005: New York Presbyterian Hospital is reported by Hitachi, USA as having pushed back plans for their proton accelerator project six months at least to midyear.

The reason given, according to Vito Cappello, Marketing Director for Hitachi North America is they are pursuing other matters, and that the proton accelerator project has been "back-burnered."

NYPH DRIVING RANGE ON WARMER DAYS: Future site of proton accelerator-biomedical research facility, shown in 2002, now three years, four months from its approval in the making, and no earth has been moved. Photo, WPCNR News Archive.

Cappello told WPCNR in an interview this week that there is no Director of Proton Therapy in place yet, to his knowledge, however Hitachi is still looking forward to building the proton accelerator when the New York Presbyterian Hospital decides to move forward.

New York Presbyterian Hospital received an extension of its site plan permit to build the proton accelerator-medical research facility on the old driving range portion of its property four months ago in September of 2004.

SITE OF THE PHANTOM PROTON ACCELERATOR, shown in the overhead map of the project, consisting of the two darker buildings and light green parking facility at the far left of the picture. Sites 4 and 5 to the right are not part of the construction. Photo, WPCNR News Archive.

At that time the hospital talked about a ground-breaking in the spring. However, since the two buildings, the research facility and the proton accelerator are connected, it remains to be seen whether can start one, without starting the other, let alone find a research partner compatible with whomever builds the proton accelerator, whatever firm that may be.

Mr. Cappello said that from the time Hitachi signed a contract with the Hospital it would take 36 months for Hitachi to build the proton accelerator piece of the project. Cappello, when asked how Hitachi's negotiations with the University of Pennsylvania will going to build the proton accelerator planned for Philadelphia, Cappello said that decision had not been made yet by the University of Pennsylvania.

WPCNR has asked for a statement from New York Presbyterian Hospital as to the reasons behind the delay, whether they be financial, or whether they plan to pursue the medical research portion of the proton accelerator first, but so far the Hospital has not clarified the situation for our readers.

The hospital has in the past, entertained a notion of requesting the Common Council to rezone portions of their property adjacent to Westchester Avenue "medical commercial," and, in return the hospital would lease parkland of about 55 acres to the City of White Plains.