New York Blood Center Enterprises (NYBCe) formally opened its new blood center located at 601 Midland Ave., in Rye on June 17. In addition to being a blood donor center, it houses offices, labs and related spaces for the center’s operations. The building’s location at Midland Avenue and Peck Avenue was previously was an Avon warehouse and data center.
The New York Blood Center delivers about 500,000 blood products annually to more than 150 hospitals, EMS and health care partners. NYBC is part of New York Blood Center Enterprises (NYBCe), which serves more than 17 states and delivers about one million blood products to more than 400 U.S. hospitals annually.
The ribbon-cutting came at what NYBCe described as a critical moment, with the organization having declared a blood emergency due to a sharp and sustained drop in blood donations across New York and New Jersey. Ground was broken for the project on June 15, 2023.
The Westchester County Local Development Corporation approved $52 million in tax-exempt bond financing for the project. The total project cost had been estimated at $108 million.
The center covers 187,000-square-feet and brings together blood collections, life sciences research, processing, cell therapy manufacturing and other operations under one roof.
“Our stunning Rye donor center is one of the centerpieces of our new campus, one that we hope will become a hub for the Westchester community,” said Andrea Cefarelli, the Blood Center’s senior vice president. “This incredible campus allows NYBCe to fulfill our mission of supporting the Tri-State area’s public health and sharing our life-saving research around the world.”
Among those attending the ribbon-cutting were Westchester County Executive Ken Jenkins, Westchester County Board of Legislators Chairman Vedat Gashi, County Legislator Catherine Parker, and Suburban Hospital Alliance of New York State President and CEO Wendy Darwell.
Jenkins said, “May the grand opening at the new campus in Rye multiply and magnify the next 60 years of your lifesaving research, innovation, and impact.”
Lauren Shields, a heart transplant recipient and blood donation advocate spoke at the event.
“Without the gift of blood donation, I would have never made it to my transplant day,” Shields said. “Each transfusion was a lifeline, keeping me alive while I waited for a donor to be found.”
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer issued a message saying, “For over 60 years, the New York Blood Center has played an integral role in connecting New Yorkers with a critical resource at their greatest moment of need. The opening of a new donor center at their state-of-the-art Rye Campus will help usher in a new chapter in the New York Blood Center’s history and advance their vital mission for years to come.”
Michael Henrici, project executive at the Consigli Construction Co., who worked on the project said, “This project will undoubtedly support the health and futures of countless families who rely on New York Blood Center’s lifesaving resources. We are grateful to have had the opportunity, alongside our project partners, to bring this incredible new campus to life and build a foundation that will advance NYBCe’s meaningful mission for generations to come.”
