By Nick Buglione
Richard Turan, president of the hospital, has touted the project for some time, stating that it could attract Nassau's top doctors to the center.
"We've been discussing it for a very long time and most people think it's a good idea," Turan said. Two 60,000-square-foot buildings would be built on the hospital's visitors' parking lot, at Hempstead Turnpike and Carman Avenue, according to the current plans.
NUMC's run-down G and H buildings would then be razed so that tiered parking can be built.
"The G and H buildings were nurse dormitories years ago and they're not in good condition, and we wanted to come up with ideas on what to do with them," Turan said, explaining that spawned the idea to erect medical offices and turn those buildings into parking facilities.
"The G and H buildings would be turned into a tiered parking area, with two to three tiers, out of view from the streets," he said. "That parking would replace the spots we lost [from the office buildings' construction], provide what we need for the new buildings and even more parking spaces."
It's estimated the project would cost between $25 million to $30 million, but would be financed entirely by the two developers that would work jointly on the construction, Tritec and Kaplan Developing Group.
"The arrangement we're going to make is a land lease to the developer and the developer would pay for the construction of the buildings," Turan said. The developer would also manage the buildings and in turn receive the bulk of the revenues from doctors who rent out the space, he added.
"They would get the lion's share of the profits, we would get a smaller part of the action," Turan said. "The big benefit for us is we would attract more private physicians to the hospital."
The president estimates each building could hold at least 12 private practices, with several doctors working in each practice, and perhaps more.
"We put up some signs to get some idea of the market and we've gotten some responses back from doctors who are interested," Turan said, noting that the developer would only start construction on the second building after all offices in the first are filled.
"The developers have to finance this; you can't go out and build a building by speculation."
Despite Turan's optimism, this project is far from a done deal. The hospital's 16-member board of directors will decide whether to approve it after a formal presentation at their April 28 meeting. Outside of accepting or rejecting it, the board could also propose changes to the plan.
"There are several people who are overtly in favor of this and several people who haven't taken a position on it," said Frank Saracino, board member and former superintendent of East Meadow schools. "I am not aware of anyone who is against it."
Saracino admitted that he had his own opinion of the project but "would rather give it after the meeting."
Some civic leaders aware of the plan have already expressed their tentative support, while others have yet to take a position. "It's early to tell. It makes sense economically and the building part is looking very nice," said Richard Cardozo, president of the Carman Community Association. "Turan has a well thought-out plan."
Robert Zafonte, president of the East Meadow Civic Association, agreed. "It seems that it's going to be paying for itself. It doesn't seem to be controversial. It doesn't seem to be taking up parking," Zafonte said. "It seems like a good idea for more doctors to do business at the medical center."
