Mary Immaculate looks worse than previously reported

From Clean Up Jamaica Queens:

Mary Immaculate Hospital in Jamaica, which was located at 152-11 89th Avenue, right across from Rufus King Park, closed it’s doors back in 2009 like so many other Queens Hospitals, including Jamaica’s other hospital, St. John’s Queens, putting 2500 hospital employees out of work and putting a big burden on the people of Jamaica and Queens.

Since then the boarded up hospital sits there and not looking so immaculate these days.

Even though there has been talk of the large building being turned into condos or market rate apartments (and there are work permits posted all over), the once immaculate hospital is looking pretty shitty these days. Open windows side by side with many broken windows (talk about your Broken Window Theory), boarded up windows and doors, an air conditioner hanging barely from one window, huge tree branches broken and crashed into the railings of the adjacent parking garage, garbage strewn around, including mattresses, shopping carts and furniture, plus homeless people can be seen sleeping on the outside (maybe in the inside), the place is easily accessible, since there are very little fences around the buildings main entrance.

So Jamaica endures another eyesore in the community, a huge one just a couple of blocks from the downtown area.

Mary Immaculate owner's silent partner takes over

From the Times Ledger:

The ever-evolving fate of what was once Mary Immaculate Hospital in Jamaica has changed course once again.

Jack Guttman, who purchased Mary Immaculate and St. John’s Hospital in Elmhurst in an October bankruptcy auction, relinquished ownership of the Jamaica site to real estate developer Joseph Chetrit about three weeks ago, according to Isaac Abraham,a spokesman for Guttman. Guttman and Chetrit closed on the deal about two weeks ago, Abraham said.

Guttman is still the owner of the St. John’s site.

Chetrit and Guttman have had a troubled history with development in the city. In October Chetrit traded his property on 100th Street in Manhattan for a Jewish nursing home at 120 West 106 Street so he could develop upscale condominiums at the Jewish Home and Hospital Life Care site, whichis in an area slated for downsizing. Guttman and his father, Joshua Guttman, were charged with 434 counts of failure to maintain privately owned waterfront property after a 10-alarm fire broke out in 2006 at one of their Brooklyn properties, the Greenpoint Terminal Market.

Chetrit did not return a phone call to his Manhattan office.

Abraham did not say what role Chetrit played in the bankruptcy auction, but Dan Andrews, a spokesman for Borough President Helen Marshall, said the real estate developer was a silent partner with Guttman. Silent partners typically provide significant capital for an investment but do not have to submit their name for public knowledge.

“Guttman has a silent partner who now has control of the site,” Andrews said. “The borough president has tried to have a meeting with [Guttman] but without success. He has not returned our phone calls.”

Guttman never relayed information about Chetrit being involved in the $26 million purchase of Mary Immaculate and St. John’s in October to the borough president, Andrews said.

“It came about as a surprise,” he said.

Developer receptive to health care at former hospitals

From the Daily News:

U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Carla Craig denied the request filed this week on behalf of the Village Management Group, the runner-up in the Oct. 16 auction for St. John's Hospital in Elmhurst and Mary Immaculate Hospital in Jamaica.

Village Management had said it hoped to place health care facilities at the sites. It also charged the bidding process was unfair.

The court's decision was a disappointment for Borough President Helen Marshall and others who say Queens desperately needs more medical centers. Guttman had originally ruled out using the buildings for health care, but seemed to leave the door open in a statement Wednesday.

"We are satisfied with the court's ruling and excited to begin the process necessary to put these properties back in use," said Guttman, president of Pearl Realty. "We have spoken to the borough president and are ready to work with the community to explore development opportunities that will make sense for Queens."

Hope for health care at hospital sites

From the Daily News:

A developer who wants to place health care facilities at the shuttered Mary Immaculate and St. John's Hospitals is asking a federal bankruptcy court judge to reopen the auction for those buildings.

The Village Management Group filed court papers Tuesday saying the bidding process was unfair.

They also presented a letter from New York Hospital Queens officials saying they would consider working with Village Management on a facility at the St. John's site.

Controversial developer Joshua Guttman made the highest bid at an Oct. 16 auction, promising $26.6 million for both properties.

Village Management noted it was the winning bidder for the Mary Immaculate site in Jamaica. But its bid for St. John's in Elmhurst was eclipsed by Guttman's.

Guttman has said the sites would likely be used for office space, educational or religious organizations, but not health care.

Borough President Helen Marshall and others have been lobbying to keep some sort of medical use in those locations, noting that Queens is woefully underserved.

In court papers, Village Management said it spoke with Guttman during a break in the auction and even had a handshake agreement to bid as a team.

Hospitals' sale to Guttman on hold

From the Daily News:

The sale of two shuttered Queens hospitals to a controversial developer has been temporarily blocked.

The state Dormitory Authority asked a federal bankruptcy court judge on Friday to hold off on approving the sale of St. John's Hospital and Mary Immaculate Hospital to an investment group headed by Joshua Guttman.

The authority, which is owed more than $62 million by bankrupt hospital owner Caritas Health Care, wants the court to consider reopening the auction. A hearing on the matter is scheduled for tomorrow.

Guttman made the highest bid at an Oct. 16 auction, promising $26.6 million for both properties.

The Dormitory Authority filed the motion after Queens Borough President Helen Marshall and others made a personal appeal to Gov. Paterson at a Queens County Democratic Party dinner Thursday night.

Closed hospital saga ain't over yet!

From the Times Ledger:

A federal bankruptcy judge has yet to approve the sale of St. John’s and Mary Immaculate hospitals to Guttman Realty and could instead reopen the bidding process for the two sites owned by the bankrupt and shuttered Caritas Health Care, according to Dan Andrews, a spokesman for Queens Borough President Helen Marshall.

“The judge is not totally happy with the bid winner,” Andrews said. “It’s possible the whole process could be reopened.”

Brooklyn Bankruptcy Court Judge Carla E. Craig was slated to approve or deny the $26.625 million sale Oct. 22, but instead ordered a delay on the decision, Andrews said.

Craig’s office would not comment on the decision this week.

Marshall’s office expressed concerns about Brooklyn-based Guttman Realty’s history.

Joshua Guttman, owner of Guttman Realty, and his son, Jack Guttman, were charged with 434 counts of failure to maintain privately owned waterfront property after a 10-alarm fire broke out in 2006 at one of Guttman’s Brooklyn properties, the Greenpoint Terminal Market.