The hospital’s plans to build a new Bennett Cancer Center in a $275 million expansion of the hospital campus are moving forward. Tonight the plan will be presented to the Stamford Zoning Board for its approval.
The last hospital expansion plan in 2016, that led to the current tower, changed drastically from the original plan. Neighbors have expressed concerns about traffic, parking and alterations to the plans that were made the last time. And want to make sure that the plans that are passed are the plans that are constructed.
The hospital has reached out to the Hubbard Heights Association for a letter of support for the plan. We have asked for a meeting to hear more details of the plan before giving our support.
All neighbors are invited to attend an open meeting on Thursday September 24, at 6 pm at the hospital for more information.
Below is a letter to the zoning board regarding neighor concerns. It will be presented to the board this evening. Feel free to listen to tonight’s meeting and call in to express your views.
To: Stamford Zoning Board
Re: Stamford Hospital Expansion
September 14, 2026
Dear Zoning Board,
Stamford Hospital and the neighborhood to its north, Hubbard Heights which is a nationally recognized historic district, have been good neighbors since the hospital moved into its current location on West Broad Street in 1913. In fact, so many of the neighborhood’s residents worked at the hospital, that Hubbard Avenue was once nicknamed “Doctor’s Row.”
Today, Hubbard Heights is home to over 300 households and homeowners are represented by the Hubbard Heights Association (HHA).
While we wholeheartedly support Stamford Health’s stated mission for this expansion, our neighborhood has some concerns that need to be addressed before we can support this project. Representatives of the hospital have reached out to the HHA recently, and we are scheduled to meet soon, so the neighbors can learn more details regarding this planned expansion.
During the hospital’s last significant expansion in 2016, promises were made to the neighborhood that were not upheld. For example:
- A proposed greenway separating the hospital and neighborhood was essentially eliminated.
- The main entrance to the hospital was originally planned to be located on the south side of the campus. But was relocated to its current location on the north side at West Broad and Hubbard Ave, significantly impacting traffic in our neighborhood. When the plan changed, neighbors were not notified, until after construction had begun.
- Signage at the hospital was originally going to be muted with the only signs at the top of the tower. In actuality, there’s a brightly lit entrance on West Broad that resembles the entrance of a shopping mall.
Some our concerns about the proposed expansion include:
- Increased traffic in the neighborhood, especially along Hubbard Avenue, which now serves the primary artery at the Hubbard and West Broad Street intersection. With the addition of 73,000 square feet of building space, we would anticipate another substantial increase in traffic on Hubbard Avenue and the adjacent feeder streets.
- Parking in the Hubbard Heights neighborhood during construction has been a significant issue during past projects.
- Stillwater Ave has “No Trucks” signage so it appears that most construction vehicles would be forced to use West Broad street.
- Ambulatory services proposed in this expansion could be better served at other Stamford hospital locations, in our opinion, where there would be less congestion and more parking available.
As we learn more specific details about the project and discuss our concerns with the hospital, we hope that our interests as an abutting neighborhood will be addressed in the official expansion plan before the Zoning Board votes on the matter.
Respectfully,
Hubbard Heights Association
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