Brooklyn Hospital Center plans land sale amid redevelopment

Brooklyn Hospital Center is plotting to redevelop its Fort Greene site and plans to unload some of its property along the way.

The proceeds from the sale would go toward the hospital’s planned $1.2 billion renovation and $50 million in deferred maintenance costs, according to the Wall Street Journal.

To kick off its redevelopment, the hospital will submit paperwork seeking the rezoning of its 5.5-acre site that fills an entire block adjacent to Fort Greene Park. That filing is expected to be done in a matter of weeks.

An early version of the hospital’s plan shows that it will seek to sell off about two-thirds of its current land to buyers who will build residential and commercial high-rise towers.

The hospital will fill a third of its current footprint along DeKalb Avenue and occupy a series of new towers, some of which will be at least 17 stories tall. It will also reconfigure its entranceway to be off Ashland Place, rather than DeKalb.

The renovated facility will include a cancer center, ambulatory surgery center, larger outpatient services and maternity care and will require an additional 600 employees. The 300-bed count is expected to remain the same.

The Brooklyn hospital is independent and has a track record of selling off its property to raise capital. In 2018, it sold a parcel for $95 million. The hospital reportedly considered a similar redevelopment plan 10 years ago, according to officials at two other hospital systems, though Brooklyn Hospital Center officials said they were unaware of any precedent. [WSJ] — Erin Hudson