Upstate University Hospital is moving forward with a plan to shut down a portion of East Adams Street in Syracuse. This proposal is tied to a 450 million dollar expansion of their emergency department. Hospital leadership argues that closing the street is necessary to create a ground-level connection between existing facilities and the new annex. They state this design is vital for patient care because it reduces travel time for trauma patients arriving by ambulance or helicopter.
Dr. Robert Corona, the CEO of Upstate, says this change allows the facility to function as a top-tier regional trauma center. The alternative, an enclosed skybridge, would add extra elevator trips and create physical barriers for medical teams moving specialized equipment. Upstate administrators believe this ground-level access is the only way to avoid dangerous delays in care.
However, officials at the neighboring Crouse Hospital strongly disagree with the plan. Dr. Seth Kronenberg, the CEO of Crouse, warns that closing East Adams would harm the entire medical district. He argues that restricting access to the area will create traffic bottlenecks and delay arrival times for patients headed to Crouse or the nearby VA hospital. Crouse leadership emphasizes that emergency care is time-sensitive and that closing a major street for the benefit of one institution creates unacceptable risks for others.
City officials are currently reviewing the proposal but have not taken a formal stance. Mayor Sharon Owens noted that the decision involves complex traffic impacts, especially with the ongoing changes to the local infrastructure grid. Council members are now asking for data on how a road closure would affect patient outcomes and general traffic flow before they consider any action. Upstate hopes for a resolution in the coming months to keep their construction timeline on track for a 2028 completion.