The State Supreme Court’s decision on the future of the cash-strapped Long Island College Hospital in Brooklyn has been rescheduled for Thursday in hopes the involved parties will hash out a deal before then.
Local community groups, politicians and unions alike have fought for almost a year with owner SUNY Downstate Medical Center to keep the full-service facility open. Meanwhile, the hospital has been losing $13 million a month.
The various parties have hinted, however, that they may be willing to settle, according to Crain’s.
“For the first time, I have hope we can find a way to keep LICH alive,” said the representative for SUNY’s opponents, attorney Jim Walden of Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher, told the Brooklyn Eagle. “The Court approved the request to delay the hearing until Thursday to see whether any seeds planted over the weekend would blossom.”
In recent weeks, SUNY tried to sell the property despite an injunction, hence the hearing to decide if the round of bidding for the hospital was a violation of the court order.
Current bidders include a slew of medical centers and developers, including Don Peebles, Fortis, and Related Companies. None of the proposals will restore LICH as a full-service hospital, as demanded by opponents. [Crain’s and Brooklyn Eagle] — Angela Hunt