JERSEY CITY, NJ — Two weeks after the new owners of a Jersey City hospital closed its last department, local officials are looking at how to take over the property and ensure it’s used for health care.
On Friday, Mayor James Solomon and two council members said the council may vote to authorize the Planning Board to determine if the Christ Hospital site can be designated an area in need of redevelopment.
The designation could ultimately allow the city to take the property by eminent domain.
Last fall, Hudson Regional Health, the company that already owned Meadowlands Hospital in Secaucus, took over three Hudson County hospitals run by CarePoint as part of bankrupcty proceedings: Christ Hospital in Jersey City Heights, Hoboken University Medical Center, and Bayonne Hospital.
In November, after the company failed to get state aid to keep the hospital running, they said they would close most departments except for the Emergency Room.
Two weeks ago, they closed the Emergency Room at the 154-year-old facility as well.
The former Christ Hospital, renamed Heights University Hospital by its new owners, sit perched atop the Palisades cliffs, overlooking Hoboken.
HRH argued last year, when they said they would close most departments, that the hospital was not fiscally viable, and did not have enough funding to continue.
But critics argued that HRH knew about the financial situation when they acquired the facility. Local activists were also concerned that HRH might redevelop the land into housing, since the hospital sits on valuable property.
“When Christ Hospital closed, it left a real void for families in the Heights who depended on it,” said Councilmember Jake Ephros. “This resolution is about making sure our community has a seat at the table as we figure out what comes next for that site.”
“Taking this step means we’re serious about fighting for healthcare access in this neighborhood, and we’re using every tool the law gives us to do it,” said Councilman Tom Zuppa.
If the Planning Board determines the site meets the legal criteria, it will make a recommendation to the City Council, which would then decide whether to formally designate the area for redevelopment.
A public hearing would be held as part of the Planning Board’s investigation.
On a city government page called “Rush to Close Christ Hospital,” officials said the owners didn’t follow the proper procedure to close the bulk of the departments last year. In fact, the Jersey City Times reported in January that the owners had been fined by the state for the closure.