Dunkirk company prepares for hospital move

DUNKIRK, NY — Central Station Restaurant has been serving the town of Dunkirk for over 30 years.

Robert Contiguglia has owned it for eight years.

“It’s actually become my dream job,” he said. “That’s because I cook every day, to excite my customers on different levels.”

There is some level of concern about Brooks Memorial Hospital leaving the city and rebuilding a new facility in nearby Fredonia.

“There’s not a lot of business here, but there is business here,” Contiguglia said.

He fears losing business from hospital staff, visitors and doctors’ offices who he said could also move to Fredonia.

“It’s hard enough trying to run a business in downtown Dunkirk because there are a lot of empty stores,” Contiguglia said. “By removing the hospital, it makes things even more difficult.”

City leaders say they are disappointed that the hospital will not be rebuilt in Dunkirk, but support the decision because the facility is at risk of closing and would add to the more than 130 hospitals closed in the state between 2010 and 2021. .

The city seeks to minimize the impact on the business community.

“We do not anticipate that there will be a long transition period once it is operational, regardless of the next incarnation of Brooks Hospital,” said Vince DeJoy, director of planning and development for the city ​​of Dunkirk.

Brooks and the city are working to entice a developer to redevelop the site.

“The hospital is going away, but that doesn’t mean health care is going away,” DeJoy said. “We want to make sure there is at least some type of acute health care available for residents.”

Brooks recently opened a new medical clinic in Fredonia, like the one in Dunkirk. This is part of the effort to serve the region.

“It takes both communities to be successful and economically successful in the future,” said Ken Morris, president and CEO of Brooks Memorial Hospital.

Contiguglia is hopeful about its future, serving the greater community and preserving downtown Dunkirk, one sandwich at a time.

“Our restaurant will do just fine,” Contiguglia said. “We take care of the elderly. We take care of the tourists. We take care of the local business people. I’m not worried about myself, I’m worried about all the people around us.”

Another concern raised is transportation, as many Dunkirk residents do not drive and generally walk to Brooks.

The new hospital is expected to be completed within the next three years.