UTICA, N.Y. -- The proposed new Utica hospital would transform the downtown area, and included in its footprint are some areas currently being used by the Utica Police Department.

"Taking both our Maintenance Facility and parking lot, and then the additional parking lot which has basically 171 spaces," said Utica Police Chief Mark Williams.

Officials said new facility is needed.

"Whether the hospital was coming here or not, we've been looking at a consolidated maintenance facility for quite some time," said Utica Mayor Robert Palmieri. "We do not have an area for DPW. We do not have an area for police or fire to house some of our vehicles, or some of our apparatuses."

In the meantime, losing those areas brings some new concerns.

"It leaves no room to expand and on top of it, I'm going to be needing a new maintenance facility and I need parking for my employees and visitors to this building," Williams said.

Although the proposed hospital's footprint only affects the Maintenance Facility and parking lot, the Police Chief said it could have greater implications -- implications that could affect the department's location, which the Chief said is outdated and small.

"It's more than a Maintenance Facility," said Williams. "We also store evidence and property in there to alleviate some of the shortcomings we have in this building with not having room. And it also provides another additional 25 parking spaces for police vehicles."

The Chief said he would like to see, at the very least, the parking spaces replaced and a new maintenance facility in a nearby safe area.