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January 30, 2005 Record-Eagle/Douglas Tesner Katherine Garthe, administrator at the Leelanau Memorial Health Center, wants the public to know that not all services at the center have been discontinued. Northport looks at new uses for hospitalByRecord-Eagle business editor NORTHPORT -- Wanted: Developer to transform closed hospital into a vibrant operation creating jobs and other economic opportunities in area striving for growth. Serious inquiries only. After more than a generation of serving the Northport area as Leelanau County's only hospital, the focus at Leelanau Memorial Health Center is on the future. Munson Healthcare, which closed the Northport hospital Dec. 31, is going nationwide to seek redevelopment ideas for the health center campus, just west of the village's business district. Hospital and Northport officials agree that finding a new use for the hospital represents a tall challenge -- but also a major opportunity for the county's oldest village. "The goal is to find the best and highest use of that property for the community," Leelanau Memorial administrator Kathrine Garthe said. "It's an important part of the community's vision for the future." The 20-acre site includes five buildings and additions encompassing 67,540 square feet of building area. The original Leelanau Memorial Hospital was built in 1957 and has been remodeled three times, while the long-term care unit was built in 1970 and upgraded nine years ago. Several local bodies have adopted resolutions supporting the hospital's re-use, but village officials say future proposals will be scrutinized. "I think everybody wants to be real cooperative, but there's still a lot of people that are not too happy (the hospital was closed)," village administrator Greg King said. Village officials want the existing long-term care center there to continue operating. They also want the 8,200 square-foot pool and fitness center built in 1996 to stay open and available for public use. Other health uses such as clinics and medical offices would be desirable, too. "That's been the general conversation without knowing what's going to be on the table," King said. "It's really tough to say until you get down to the nitty-gritty." Although the health center officially closed last month, the long-term care unit is being operated by Tendercare Inc., which is looking to build a new facility in northern Leelanau County. The pool and fitness center remain open and are being run by a local non-profit association. Garthe hopes both functions will continue. "The idea was not to let these services leave Leelanau County," she said. More than 400 Leelanau Township residents responded to a survey last fall about hospital property's future. More than 80 percent of respondents wanted the site to generate community jobs and to keep the pool and fitness center. When asked what uses would be best for the community, 35 percent favored residential, 25 percent supported commercial/office, 18 percent said governmental and 15 percent favored a rehab or mental health center. Only 7 percent supported a manufacturing-related commercial use. Sixty percent of those surveyed said future uses should be consistent with village zoning. The property is zoned R-2 core residential, allowing single and two-family dwellings, senior housing, family day-care centers and institutional uses. Denise Holland, president of the Leelanau Township Chamber of Commerce, said the marketing effort may bring out ideas the community hasn't considered. "I don't even want to start naming ventures, because then you start limiting possibilities," Holland said. "That's part of the challenge we have." Munson is using the Traverse Bay Economic Development Corp. to help market the campus. EDC director Charles Blankenship said the property is advertised in various national and local business publications and newspapers, in a direct-mail campaign to more than a dozen developers who have expressed past interest in northwest lower Michigan, and to 150 other site selection consultants and developers. "So far, every method has produced some results for us," he said. Formal proposals are due in late April and will be turned over to a committee of Munson Healthcare and community representatives for review. "This project is important to the community," Blankenship said. "It's an opportunity for some economic improvement."
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