Ruth Bader Ginsburg Hospital unveils bronze statue of late Supreme Court justice
CONEY ISLAND, Brooklyn (WABC) -- A new tribute to late Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg now stands tall in the hospital that bears her name.
A 7-foot bronze statue was unveiled Thursday in the lobby of Ruth Bader Ginsburg Hospital in Coney Island.
The statue will welcome staff, patients and visitors as they enter the facility.
The statue's reveal comes as the crews put the finishing touches on the medical facility.
Ten years ago, Superstorm Sandy took a toll on the south Brooklyn community. Coney Island Hospital had to be evacuated.
Money from FEMA, $923 million, was used to build the hospital and renovate the campus. It's the first new public hospital in 40 years and it is built to last.
The 11-story hospital features an emergency department built to withstand not only a 100-year storm, like Superstorm Sandy, but a 500-year storm.
"The building is designed to withstand weather conditions no matter what we are given and we will never have to experience what we did with Superstorm Sandy," said Rosanne DeGennaro, Chair of South Brooklyn Health's Community Advisory Board.
The woman the building is named for was also a force of nature.
Ginsburg attended James Madison High School in Brooklyn and took advantage of the borough's public libraries, museums and cultural institutions on her way to becoming a Supreme Court justice.
"It is therefore fitting that another Brooklyn establishment dedicated to the public welfare share in her legacy of striving for the betterment of all," said her daughter, Jane C. Ginsburg.
The hospital is expected to open early next year.
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