Long Island College Hospital provides emergency services for all of Cobble Hill and Brooklyn Heights. Credit: Google Maps
Brooklyn Hospital Center has put in a bid to buy Long Island College Hospital with a plan to keep an emergency room open and add 1,000 mixed-income apartments.
The hospital has drafted a plan with a private equity firm and a developer that would close LICH as a full-service hospital and open a “comprehensive care center” and apartments in its place, Crain’s New Yorkreported on Wednesday.
It would have ambulance service and a freestanding emergency room for noncritical acute injuries and illnesses, but there would be no inpatient services at the facility. All inpatient services would be based at Brooklyn Hospital, which is located one mile away.
Under the plan, the remaining property would be developed into 1,000 residential units, including 350 designated for affordable housing.
SUNY spent most of last year trying to shut down the hospital due to financial struggles. Community members, doctors and nurses say the hospital is needed by the community and have successfully fought to keep it open.
Last month, SUNY officials tabled a vote to sell the hospital to Fortis Property Group, a Brooklyn-based firm that had responded to SUNY’s Request for Proposals.
The RFP process has been closed since September, and it is not yet clear if Brooklyn Hospital’s proposal will be considered.
