Wuhan wanted to put the hospital away from city center. And did not want to contaminate existing spaces. In NYC, there is very little space for something new.

Wuhan wanted to put the hospital away from city center. And did not want to contaminate existing spaces. In NYC, there is very little space for something new. And the existing structures are poor locations for actual hospitals. If the economy is going to be down for a while, might as well use a public space that is shut down for that purpose.