This week -- 50+ years ago -- both of our hospital construction projects made the news. Snow blanketed the construction site at 4900 Broad Rd., Syracuse, and a strike by marble industry workers caused a delay in the shipping  of marble to the construction of the hospital at 750 East Adams St., Syracuse.

The photo above, published on January 22, 1961 and shot by Arthur J. Cornelius, chief of Herald–American photographers, shows the construction of the hospital on Broad Rd. (now known as Upstate University Hospital, Community Campus; then known as  Community Hospital). The caption read, “Area health facilities will be expanded with completion of new Community Hospital. “

On January 22, 1963, the Post-Standard reported that the construction of the “State University Hospital” (the downtown hospital on East Adams St.) was 52 percent  complete. The article noted that Malan Construction Corp., general contractors, had completed the excavation and foundation and 75 percent of the steel work, was pouring cement flooring, and planning to install siding and roofing in February. Other businesses working on construction of the downtown hospital were listed as: Otis Elevator, Welsbach Corp. (heating), J&K Plumbing and Heating, RAO Electric Equipment Co., Rosenthal-Chadwick (refrigeration), Cable-Wiedemer (food service equipment) and the Laboratory Furniture Co.

In honor of the construction of the hospitals, Upstate is hosting its 50^th anniversary kick-off event on Friday, Feb. 7 at 2 p.m. with simultaneous festivities to be held at its Downtown and Community campuses.