MANHATTAN – The Hospital for Special Surgery is breaking ground this week on a $150 million expansion that will build a 12-story tower on top of the FDR Drive next to the main HSS campus on the Upper East Side.
On Thursday, October 7th, shovels will go into the dirt as HSS hosts a special ceremony to mark the first and what it calls the ‘most-dramatic’ phase of the hospital’s expansion— an additional 100,000 thousand square feet dedicated to joint replacement and spinal care.
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The new Anna-Maria and Stephen Kellen Medical Tower— named in honor of the foundation which donated $35 million toward construction— will include three floors of private rooms for inpatient care, doctors offices, examination rooms and an on-site imaging center.
As part of the new hospital tower’s construction, HSS will be making improvements to the crumbling East River Esplanade from 72nd to 78th Streets.

Initially, construction will close part of the Esplanade from East 70th Street to East 72nd Street for six months, however, during that time a temporary ramp will be available.
Later in the project, once the base of the tower’s platform over the FDR Drive is complete, the Esplanade will close again between 72nd and 78th Street for improvements to the Esplanade itself.
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The Hospital for Special Surgery holds the distinction of being first in the nation for treatment of Orthopedics for the 12th year in a row, according to US News and World Report. The Anna-Maria and Stephen Kellen Medical Tower is expected to open in 2024.
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