DATE: Wednesday, October 15, 1997           TAG: 9710150515

SECTION: LOCAL                   PAGE: B9   EDITION: FINAL 

SOURCE: BY IDA KAY JORDAN, STAFF WRITER 

DATELINE: PORTSMOUTH                        LENGTH:   45 lines

PORTSMOUTH COUNCIL OKS DEAL FOR LAND NEAR NAVAL HOSPITAL

The city has made a deal with Bon Secours-Maryview to buy the Portsmouth General Hospital property in Park View adjacent to the Naval Medical Center for fair market value, which could range from $400,000 to $600,000.

The City Council voted 6-1 Tuesday night to approve the deal. Vice Mayor Johnny M. Clemons voted against the deal.

``If we control the property, we have the chance to put the best thing possible on it,'' Deputy City Manager Luke McCoy said. ``If we don't control it, it could be damaging to the neighborhoods.''

McCoy told the City Council that Maryview has agreed to demolish the hospital buildings in the future, leaving the city with an ``environmentally clean'' 8-acre site to market. The land currently is zoned residential.

The city will purchase the property no later than Nov. 30, but Maryview will continue to pay the total operating costs of the hospital for another 13 months, McCoy said.

In addition, Maryview will pay rent to the city for use of areas the hospital plans to keep in operation through next year. Even after all the beds and the emergency room are closed, Maryview will maintain an urgent care center and outpatient dialysis facility in the buildings.

``We will be able to use the rent money to help pay for the property,'' McCoy said.

He said the city's purchase will include the hospital and two houses on the east side of Leckie Street. Bon Secours-Maryview also owns four other houses plus the former Portsmouth General Nursing School in Park View.

``We did not address that additional residential property in this deal,'' McCoy said.

Maryview has been dismantling the hospital piece by piece since May 1996, when Bon Secours purchased the property from Tidewater Health Care for an undisclosed sum.

In August, Maryview received state approval to move six operating rooms for outpatient surgery from Portsmouth General to a new building in Suffolk. Earlier this year, the state granted permission to move diagnostic equipment to Suffolk.

McCoy said Bon Secours approached the city about buying the building to house City Hall.

``We looked at that idea and decided we could tear it down and build a new one cheaper than we could remodel,'' McCoy said.

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