Is Planned Parenthood still building a facility in Brighton? Yes, the nonprofit says

Natalia Rodríguez Medina, Rochester Democrat and Chronicle
·2 min read

A new Planned Parenthood facility will still be built in the town of Brighton, though not at Westfall Park Medical Center as previously announced, said a local spokesperson for the reproductive health care nonprofit.

A proposal for a site at 2235 S. Clinton Ave. was scrapped due to leasing agreements between the nonprofit and Westfall Medical Realty LLC, according to Planned Parenthood of Central and Western New York.

"In August 2021, Westfall Medical informed PPCWNY that they were unable to adhere to the financial terms of our contract due to cost escalation from the initial estimate. They requested additional funds from PPCWNY to carry out construction,” according to a written statement from Michelle Casey, president and CEO of Planned Parenthood of Central and Western New York.

This led to both parties agreeing to terminate the lease, Planned Parenthood said.

More: Why did the Greece Planned Parenthood get demolished?

In July, the Brighton Planning Board unanimously approved the Planned Parenthood facility project at Westfall Park Medical Center. The plan was to demolish the existing building and construct a new health facility on its foundation.

The Planned Parenthood proposal was met with resistance by local anti-abortion groups such as Rochester Love will End Abortion and Brighton Residents Against Violence (BRAVE). BRAVE had previously filed an Article 78 proceeding against the Brighton Planning Board as a challenge to the project approval

The group sent out a press release on Jan. 11 celebrating the lease termination as a victory from their litigation.

But Casey said that the decision to end the Westfall agreement was not influenced by pressure from groups like BRAVE.

"The lease termination agreement is in absolutely no way related to any litigation or pressure from anti-choice groups," said Casey.

PPCWNY continues to rent a temporary space at Westfall Park Medical Center at 2225 S. Clinton Ave. and says it has not shut down its plans to build a permanent facility in Brighton.

To access Planned Parenthood services in Brighton, visit https://www.plannedparenthood.org/health-center/new-york/brighton/14618/brighton-henrietta-health-center-3787-91040

Natalia Rodríguez Medina is a bilingual reporter covering the Puerto Rican and Latino population for the Democrat and Chronicle in partnership with Report for America. Follow her on Twitter at @nataliarodmed or email her at nrodriguezmedina@gannett.com. You can support her work with a tax-deductible donation to Report for America.

This article originally appeared on Rochester Democrat and Chronicle: Planned Parenthood in Brighton NY still planned, despite protests