White Plains CitizeNetReporter - “BioTech Talks” Day 2: To Resume Next Friday After "Info Review"

WPCNR LATE NIGHT ROUNDUP. From The Mayor’s Office. December 13, 2003: Constance Hildesley of New York Presbyterian Hospital and an unidentified NYPH executive, continued exploratory talks for a second day with Mayor Joseph Delfino Friday morning in City Hall for one hour. adjourned for one week to give New York Presbyterian Hospital an opportunity to go over some figures, according to the Mayor’s Executive Officer George Gretsas.

At approximately 9 AM Friday, a long black limousine drew up to the City Hall steps, and out of that limousine emerged Constance Hildesley, former Vice President of Real Estate for New York Presbyterian Hospital, and, as yet, an unidentified NYPH representative, we believe to be Robert Volland, now NYPH Vice President of Real Estate. The grimfaced pair briskly made their way up the city hall steps against the chill wind, amidst the clank and clamor of the Cappelli construction din.

The arrival of the pair signaled that the exploratory dialogue in the wake of the Hospital’s Article 78 threat of last week, was continuing from Thursday's New York City opening round.

Going Back To Do a Little Homework

Mr. Gretsas delivered his second “Gretsas Report” to the media on “The BioTech Talks," saying the Mayor and the hospital representatives “had a dialogue” for one hour, and agreed to meet again next Friday.

“They (the hospital) wanted to look at some information and get back to us,” Gretsas reported to WPCNR as the reason given for the hospital scheduling the 6-day interval between rounds.

Hospital Wants Nothing.

Gretsa went at pains to assure WPCNR the hospital was behaving itself: “The hospital has not asked the city for anything, nor do they intend to.”

Asked if the hospital was possibly willing to accept a suggestion from the city in return for something they had, Gretsas snapped, “That sounds like speculation on your part.”

When WPCNR pointed out that another party present at the talks described the session as “negotiations,” and the hospital representative as a “tough negotiator,” Gretsas declined to comment.

Councilmembers informed of the Talks

Yesterday, Mr. Gretsas said that the Common Councilmembers had been contacted by telephone before Thursday's opening round of the "Biotech Talks." The implication was that the Council did not object to Mayor Delfino's exploratory talks to get the hospital to pay attention to what Mr. Gretsas described as "community concerns," which may be a possible loosening up of restrictions in the approval for land for a park.


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