PAWTUCKET – A developer has finalized a deal to acquire the former Memorial Hospital site from Care New England Health System, Mayor Donald R. Grebien announced on Tuesday.
The purchaser, Lockwood Development Partners LLC, will redevelop the acquired site into a housing and education center for veterans, Grebien said. The company will develop the site into a 390,000 square foot campus that will include over 200 apartments prioritized for senior veterans, an adult day care health care facility for therapy and social services and a career training and education program for newly transitioned veterans. The project will also feature dormitory space for veterans participating in career training and education with an emphasis on medical careers.
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Property records show the company acquired the site, which includes the main hospital building, for $250,000. The deal, approved by the R.I. Superior Court, did not include the entire hospital campus, allowing The Memorial Hospital to split the lot into multiple parcels, retaining one and selling another parcel to Lockwood.
The parcel retained by CNE is 5.72 acres, including The Family Care Center on Brewster Street, the city said.
Lockwood’s redevelopment project is expected to cost $70 million and create 60 permanent jobs, as well as 500 jobs during construction.
The city said the deal is the culmination of over 18 months of work and thorough review, with the completion of an approval process by the attorney general, using the “Cy Prés” doctrine, releasing the property from restrictions, requirements and obligations affecting the land.
“For our senior veterans, our goal is to create affordable housing with therapeutic amenities. Our staff will strive to instill a positive spirit while aiming to enhance a better quality of life for every resident,” said Lockwood Development Partners President Charles Everhardt. “For our younger veterans, our goal is to provide training and education to carefully position them into the health care workforce, enabling each veteran to excel and shine with their passion to serve others.”
The company said that all buildings on the acquired site will be retained and enhanced as part of the project. The zoning and permitting process is expected to begin by mid-2021, with interior demolition scheduled for later in the year. On that timeline, construction is expected to begin in 2022, with a completion date set for 2023.
“The city … has long supported the redevelopment of the underutilized former Memorial Hospital site to a project that benefits and meets the community’s needs,” said Grebien in a statement. “We thank Charles and his team for their transformational vision to bring a veterans’ facility and the ancillary economic development that it will create to our community.”
Chris Bergenheim is the PBN web editor. You may reach him at Bergenheim@PBN.com.
