SCHENECTADY — The ongoing process of closing down the McClellan Street nursing home by Ellis Medicine is making steady progress. However, the future of the 18-acre campus, where the facility is situated, is still uncertain.
Earlier this month, the Schenectady-based health care provider announced its plans to close the Ellis Residential and Rehabilitation Center. The long-term strategy involves selling and redeveloping the mostly vacant campus, which has been a financial burden on the hospital for several years.
As of now, 37 residents still need to be relocated, a decrease from the 50 residents who were living in the 82-bed nursing home when the closure was announced on June 18, according to Christopher Jordan, the chief operating officer of Ellis Medicine. He shared this information during a public information session about the facility’s closure, which was attended by a small number of people.
Jordan stated that the aim is to have all residents relocated by Aug. 16. However, he emphasized that the facility will continue to operate until every last patient has been moved.
“Our commitment is to remain operational as long as necessary to ensure the safe and appropriate transition of residents to their next care facility,” he said.
Efforts to secure employment for the nursing home staff are also underway. Approximately three-quarters of the 75 employees have already identified potential new jobs within the Ellis system. The hospital plans to host more job fairs in the future, which will include other nursing homes in the Capital Region.
“We are quite satisfied with the progress so far,” said Paul Milton, president and CEO of Ellis Medicine.
While finding new homes for the displaced residents is the top priority, Milton said the hospital is also actively seeking a developer to repurpose the expansive campus, which was once St. Clare’s Hospital. Ellis Medicine has owned the campus since 2008.
In recent years, Ellis has been gradually moving away from the McClellan Street campus as part of a larger strategy to cut costs and enhance patient services. Most of the services previously offered at the campus have been relocated to either Ellis Hospital or the Bellevue Women’s Center in Niskayuna.
Out of the 365,000 square feet of available office space at the campus, 80% is currently vacant. The nursing home occupies the majority of the remaining space, with 44,000 square feet, while other active operations use a combined 26,000 square feet.
The annual operating cost for the campus is $5 million.
Discussions about closing the nursing home began about five years ago, before Ellis Medicine entered into a management services agreement with St. Peter’s Health Partners in Albany. This was amidst potential merger talks between the two institutions due to financial difficulties faced by the Schenectady hospital.
However, the future of the McClellan Street campus once the nursing home is vacated remains uncertain.
Milton mentioned that the hospital has issued a request for proposal seeking developers to repurpose the campus, but no formal agreement has been reached yet. Future development plans include maintaining the Belanger School of Nursing and the Ellis Family Health Center practice at the McClellan campus.
“As a seller, we are committed to making decisions that are in the best interest of the community,” Milton said.
Ray Gillen, chair of the Schenectady County Metroplex Development Authority, said on Thursday that several developers have shown interest in the property. However, he did not provide specific details as no formal agreement has been finalized.
The McClellan campus is conveniently located on a major bus line and is close to several key neighborhood amenities, including a nearby Market 32 grocery store, a pharmacy, and Central Park. These factors make the property appealing to developers, according to Gillen.
He pointed out that Ellis’s decision to move away from the campus provides an opportunity to put a large property back on the tax rolls, which would benefit the city and the local school district.
“The county’s unified economic development team is dedicated to finding a use for that property that puts it on the tax rolls and finds a new, innovative use for that campus,” Gillen said.
However, the future of the campus was a major concern for the few residents who attended Wednesday’s public forum, including Karen and Thomas Ambros, members of the Upper Union Street Neighborhood Association.
“This campus is in our area, so whatever happens to it will impact our members,” Karen Ambros said. “We are keen on maintaining our quality of life and anticipating potential changes.”
Karen Ambros expressed her understanding of Ellis’s decision to move away from the McClellan Street property, but expressed concern about the campus remaining vacant for a prolonged period.
“A productive use of the property would be ideal,” she said.
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I agree with the shutdown of the Ellis Medicine nursing home. It’s important to prioritize the safety and well-being of the residents.
Good punctuation and grammar, agree. The shutdown of the nursing home is necessary for the protection of the residents.
Disagree with shutting down nursing home #SafetyFirst