July 8, 2024— In advance of the 2027 arrival of a new Metro-North station in Morris Park and its imminent city-led rezoning, the Urban Land Institute New York (ULI NY) and Montefiore Health System (Montefiore) released a report today, entitled Reimagining Montefiore Einstein-Morris Park as a Transit-Connected Campus. It distills recommendations from a ULI New York Technical Assistance Panel (TAP) — a cross-disciplinary team of experts — to help inform and guide future work. The report outlines strategies to improve visibility, connectivity, and economic opportunity at the Montefiore Einstein Morris-Park campus that will transform the area into a regional wellness, healthcare, and jobs destination.  

The TAP was commissioned by area anchor and healthcare provider Montefiore Health System to help shape its masterplan and to involve its neighbors in reimagining Montefiore’s Morris Park campus and its environs, where over decades buildings have been added piecemeal to the campus.   

Montefiore has a unique opportunity to leverage the Morris Park Metro-North station development, just minutes from Penn Station and Westchester County, and the city-led rezoning, which has the potential to add six to nine million square feet of new real estate to the area, attract 6,000 residents, and create an estimated 15,000 new jobs around the station. TAP recommendations will help guide decision-makers and partners as they work together to explore the possibilities for this campus and neighborhood, which many believe will become a bustling hub of activity with upwards of 3,000 daily passengers projected to pass through the planned station.   

The report provides recommendations for the short term, medium term, and the long term (years 5+); and focuses on three central themes: identity, activation, and connectivity.  Key recommendations include: 

Refining Montefiore’s branding, wayfinding, design and character.  Short-term recommendations include branding assistance and wayfinding signage, which is needed at the gateways to the campus, along the sidewalks, at buildings, and more. Branded signage will be critical at the new train station to help guide transit riders to the campus.  Cohesive design and character of future development will help identify where the campus begins and ends.   

Increasing campus activation.  Other short-term recommendations include adding benches for people to use the space, linger, and make it their own. Interim opportunities include activation of the plaza at the new train.  Creating open vistas, transparency, and visual connection throughout the campus will need to be a crucial component of future development.  

Improving connectivity. These recommendations largely focus on development opportunities to connect the new train station, the heart of the campus along Morris Park Avenue, and the transition to Morris Park’s existing low-density residential neighborhood to the west.    

The TAP was chaired by ULI member Vivien Krieger, Co-Chair, Zoning, Land Use & Development Practice, Cozen O’Connor.  

“The timing of the new Metro-North Station and the city’s rezoning creates a once in a generation opportunity for Montefiore to reshape its campus, and deepen its connections to the community,” said Krieger. “Decisions made now will impact patient, employee, student, and community experiences for decades to come. We thank Montefiore for inviting us to work on this TAP and giving us the opportunity to share our recommendations.”    

Krieger was joined on the TAP by Jee Mee Kim-Diaz, City Executive, NYC Region, Arcadis; Douglas Land, Senior Manager, Infrastructure Development, JetBlue; Mike Aziz, Partner, Cooper Robertson; Bret Collazzi, Partner, HR&A Advisors; and Steven Lee, Associate Principal, SWA/Balsley.  ULI is grateful for their guidance and Montefiore’s vision and support. 

Leading this project on behalf of Montefiore Einstein is Senior Vice President of Strategic Initiatives and former Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz. 

“As the primary healthcare provider and one of the largest employers in the area, Montefiore Einstein constantly strives to expand access to care and improve economic opportunities for the communities we serve. The opening of the new Metro-North station at Morris Park will provide an exciting opportunity to transform our campus in a way that builds on that commitment. We are grateful for our partnership with the Urban Land Institute New York. The report they’ve provided will serve as a critical guide in ensuring that our plans both reflect and respect the communities we serve.” Said Diaz. 

As the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) prepares to open the new train station in 2027, it acknowledges the significance of the report’s recommendations. “MTA applauds Montefiore Health System and Urban Land Institute New York in planning for steps that Montefiore may take to complement MTA’s investment to bring Metro North service to the East Bronx,” said Robert Paley, Senior Vice President, Transit-Oriented Development, MTA Construction & Development. “Improved pedestrian connections and wayfinding to the Montefiore campus and exploring land development opportunities are critical steps to creating a transit-oriented Morris Park campus that is fully integrated into the regional transit system.”     

Among the key stakeholders interviewed during the TAP, Dr. Meisha Porter, President and CEO of The Bronx Community Foundation, voiced her support. “Every Bronxite should have access to strong jobs and educational opportunities in our own community. There is no better way to build this vision of a more equitable economy for the Bronx than the development Montefiore and the Urban Land Institute envision for Morris Park,” said Dr. Porter. “Governor Hochul’s bold investment in a new transit hub gives the entire Morris Park community a pathway to accessing better healthcare and good jobs right here at home.”  

A full copy of the report is available here. 

About the ULI NY Technical Assistance Panels (TAPs) Program 

The objective of ULI New York’s Technical Assistance Panels (TAPs) program is to provide expert, multidisciplinary, and objective advice on land use and real estate issues facing local governments, public agencies, and nonprofit organizations throughout New York State. Drawing from its extensive membership base, ULI New York conducts one- and two-day panels offering unbiased, pragmatic solutions, best practice advice, and market-based strategies to local decision-makers on a wide variety of complex land use challenges, ranging from site-specific projects to public policy questions. The TAPs program is intentionally flexible to provide a customized approach to specific land use and real estate issues.