Pols say no way to Parkway prison

BY JENNIFER BOWMAN

Wednesday, October 28, 2009 3:01 PM EDT

Rumors about The New Parkway Hospital in Forest Hills becoming a prison are false, according to Congressmember Anthony Weiner.

Weiner stood outside the facility with other local elected officials to tell the community that there are no plans to turn the defunct Parkway Hospital into a correctional facility.

“All of us have done the due diligence to try to get to the bottom of this,” Weiner said. “There are no plans and no budget of funding to use this facility for that purpose.”

A mandatory injunction to reopen Parkway was denied in U.S. Federal Court on Tuesday, October 20 and left the building open to speculation about it being turned into a prison.

Even if the idea for a prison had legs, the state would have to get involved in an extensive process, which it is not likely to do now, according to legislators.

“With there being a $3.5 billion budget shortfall in New York State, opening a prison is not in the cards,” said Senator Toby Ann Stavisky.

Meanwhile, legislators keep pointing out that there is a shortage of hospital beds in Queens with two other borough hospitals closing in the past year.

“Queens has lost over 600 beds over the last few years and it would be unconscionable to let this facility stay closed and inappropriate to have a prison facility here,” said District 29 city council candidate Karen Koslowitz.

Other potential uses for Parkway could be to turn the building into a community facility, a health care center or even a school, they say.

According to Emily Ades, District 28’s vice president of the Community Education Council (CEC), the CEC wants the Department of Education to consider leasing out a portion of the building in order to add much-needed seats for Forest Hills High School.

Stavisky added that there are 4,000 students enrolled in Forest Hills High School, but the building was made for only 2,700.

Mark Fogel, a licensed private investigator and spokesperson for Parkway, said that there might be another chance to reopen the hospital if there is an appeal and if the New York State Department of Health’s lawsuit rules in favor of the hospital. Fogel can’t understand why this hospital hasn’t been reopened yet.

“It would be better for everyone,” Fogel said. “It doesn’t cost a penny to reopen it.”

THE COURIER/Photo by Jennifer Bowman
Congressmember Anthony Weiner (second from right) stands with (from left) State Senator Toby Ann Stavisky, City Council candidate Karen Koslowitz and Assemblymember Andrew Hevesi to refute the rumor that a prison will be coming to the site of Parkway Hospital.