- April 19, 2024
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Just two months after Florida Hospital announced the Oceanside hospital property in Ormond Beach would be demolished, the health care organization has listed the four-acre land for sale at $2.5 million.
Lindsay Cashio, spokeswoman for Florida Hospital Volusia and Flagler (soon to be Advent Health), said building will still be torn down, however that won't happen until early 2019. She said the hospital is working on developing an "approprate and environmentally conscientious plan" to demolish the property, as well as exploring all opportunities and determining market interest in the land. That could mean selling all of the land, or only selling some.
“We are trying to figure out what is the best use for that property," Cashio said. "I think it’s really important to note that we’re not in a rush, we’re not racing to sell the property. We’re going to take our time."
She expects the building to be razed by next summer. Until then, Florida Hospital will continue to maintain the property to prevent it from becoming blighted.
Ormond Beach Mayor Bill Partington has spoken to representatives of both Florida Hospital and Halifax Health in hopes of building a new emergency room on the beachside, whether it be at the 264 S. Atlantic Ave. address or elsewhere. However, that doesn't seem likely to happen, he said.
Partington said the impression he has gotten from both health care organizations is that a market doesn't support an emergency room on the beachside, meaning neither of the entities expect it to make a profit. Even a non-profit hospital can't provide a service when they're losing money, Partington said.
“If there was a huge need, and it was going to be profitable for them, I don’t think we’d even be having this conversation," Partington said.
He believes the construction of an urgent care somewhere on the beachside is likely what will happen, with the county's EMS services serving as the sole trauma care provider in case of an emergency. Whether or not that would lead the city to buy an ambulance is yet to be determined, he said.
“I’m not saying I like that, or I want that, but that’s just the reality of the situation," Partington said. "I wish I could change it but despite repeated meetings and requests, they’re not budging. So we find ourselves stuck in this predicament.”
Zone 2 City Commissioner Troy Kent said he's disappointed in Florida Hospital's decision to list the property for sale.
“My hope was that Florida Hospital was going to reopen some type of medical facility with an emergency department, especially," Kent said.
He said there's no substitute for an emergency room staffed with doctors when someone is in need of serious medical care. Kent believes it's a need that residents, and those who reside in Ormond-by-the-Sea, deserve.
He would be willing to explore the idea of incentivizing a hospital to build an emergency room on the beachside, though aside from that, there's not much a city can do. Florida Hospital has property rights, he said.
Partington said he doesn't believe even a "wildly expensive" incentive of $1-2 million would be enough to entice a hospital to build an emergency room at the current Oceanside property under current market conditions.
Cashio said Florida Hospital intends to stay in the community for decades to come, and that some form of health care services could still happen on the property. What those services will be, it's too early to say, she said.
“Regardless of what happens, and as we work through this, one thing is certain," Cashio said. "Florida Hospital is fully committed to the beachside community.”
