Cobble Hill Hospital Plan Includes Condos
Long Island College Hospital operator SUNY said Monday it has found a developer to buy the medical center’s hostly contested property, turn some of it into condos, and lease back part of it to health care providers for an urgent care center. It would not “receive ambulance calls,” said The New York Times. LICH critics…
Long Island College Hospital operator SUNY said Monday it has found a developer to buy the medical center’s hostly contested property, turn some of it into condos, and lease back part of it to health care providers for an urgent care center. It would not “receive ambulance calls,” said The New York Times.
LICH critics have said all along they suspected SUNY wanted to shut the medical facility so it could sell to a private developer who would put up housing on the valuable land, which is located in prime Cobble Hill with waterfront views. The hospital has been embroiled in legal battles for months, as judges ordered it to stay open and officials kept shutting it down. Neighborhood activists, unions, doctors and pols such as Bill de Blasio say the area, particularly nearby Red Hook, needs an emergency room.
The hospital is one of several in Brooklyn having financial troubles because its patient population relies on Medicare and Medicaid. However, a sale would not put the hospital into the black, said the Times. “The hospital has $500 million in liabilities, but is expected to realize less than $300 million from the sale,” the story said.
Just up the hill, the Brooklyn Public Library is pursuing a similar plan with the Brooklyn Heights branch, which it plans to sell to developers in exchange for owning a condo space in the building.
Redevelopment Plan Is Considered for Long Island College Hospital [NY Times]
relying on Medicare patients is fine. They pay well and since just about everyone 65 and over has Medicare then just about every hospital in country has big Medicare population. Uninsured and medicaid populations though can be a drain on hospitals.
Bigger problem is outdated facility and underutilized.
Dragging on the closing of the hospital is doing nobody a favor. Trying to keep open is a feel-good idea and not
in best interests of anyone.