The Incredible Shrinking Hospital Site Development

[Bill Call]

The latest plan is for a small affordable apartment building at the South end of the Big Hole. What a waste.

[Jim O'Bryan]

The latest plan is for a small affordable apartment building at the South end of the Big Hole. What a waste.

Bill

The loss of the hospital was born out of a truly mediocre secret plan. that started to be diminished in scoop and value from day one. It went from a Rec Center, to a mix-use building to smaller and smaller and smaller. Until, the started BuildLakewood for an idea, any idea to fill the whole they themselves dug.

It is odd that the people that demand the Holespital needs to be filled are the same people that supported closing a publicly owned, award winning hospital and the front steps of a pandemic, and amazing growth in health care. These people are both foolish and embarrassed with ZERO base in what is real in the world and possible. I get it, they hate being proved liars and fools daily. But that doesn't mean we need to listen to them now or every again.

I think the city should hold on until something worthwhile, and as grand as what they stole from the public in value and future. If it takes two years, OK a decade fine. To jump into anything because liars and schemers led us to this deadend. Now that would be stupid.

The problem in Lakewood is the schemers are still here and bending the ears of elected officials, while 98% of the city has come to grips with their massive failure. So the complete dibacles of the last two administrations are being forced onto the current administration. While the facts are, the current administration has done such a good running the city, we are not in a position to accept anything but the BEST, and shop around for it.

When ever a person says, "Why won't they fill the Holespital?" I ask, "were you for closing it?" Most of the time the answer is "yes."

A very silly reason to throw away our future.

.

[ryan costa]

Just fast track 5000 people from Singapore for green cards. They are good at building apartment buildings and living in them.

[cmager]

The latest plan is for a small affordable apartment building at the South end of the Big Hole. What a waste.

Bill
The loss of the hospital was born out of a truly mediocre secret plan. that started to be diminished in scoop and value from day one. It went from a Rec Center, to a mix-use building to smaller and smaller and smaller. Until, the started BuildLakewood for an idea, any idea to fill the whole they themselves dug.

It is odd that the people that demand the Holespital needs to be filled are the same people that supported closing a publicly owned, award winning hospital and the front steps of a pandemic, and amazing growth in health care. These people are both foolish and embarrassed with ZERO base in what is real in the world and possible. I get it, they hate being proved liars and fools daily. But that doesn't mean we need to listen to them now or every again.

I think the city should hold on until something worthwhile, and as grand as what they stole from the public in value and future. If it takes two years, OK a decade fine. To jump into anything because liars and schemers led us to this deadend. Now that would be stupid.

The problem in Lakewood is the schemers are still here and bending the ears of elected officials, while 98% of the city has come to grips with their massive failure. So the complete dibacles of the last two administrations are being forced onto the current administration. While the facts are, the current administration has done such a good running the city, we are not in a position to accept anything but the BEST, and shop around for it.

When ever a person says, "Why won't they fill the Holespital?" I ask, "were you for closing it?" Most of the time the answer is "yes."
A very silly reason to throw away our future.
.

Jim, agreed. Better to wait for those responsible for this debacle to attrit away from their positions of influence and desire for personal gain, all whilst considering the better and best use for the hole and the surrounding downtown district. To do otherwise would risk further reward to them, and most importantly risk mediocrity.

[David Anderson]

I watched the video of the 9/18 hearing and am not sure where Mr. Call is coming from. https://onelakewood.granicus.com/player ... 2ab9968eaa

1 - What is being requested is that the project be build in phases as the developers' lenders refocus financial steps (11:15).

2 - The entire plan is to be approved at once (19:41).

3 - There is no change in design or overall plan (20:40) other than an additional story being added to the space that was to be occupied by Roundstone - Building A.

4 - The shape of the original office space building will largely remain the same (25:50).

5 - All Members of Council voted to go into executive session (30:55).

[Bill Call]

4 - The shape of the original office space building will largely remain the same (25:50).

5 - All Members of Council voted to go into executive session (30:55).

As of today the estimated cost to complete the project is $20 million more than the last years estimate. Those costs will continue to increase. Banks are refusing to finance the entire project now and I don't see them changing their minds any time soon.

The project will never be completed without even more taxpayer subsidies. To what end?

Overall the Council and the Mayor are doing a fine job but you all have a blind spot when it comes to Hospital site development.

[David Anderson]

Mr. Call, you wrote, "The latest plan is for a small affordable apartment building at the South end of the Big Hole."

There is no change in design or overall plan (20:40) other than an additional story being added to the space that was to be occupied by Roundstone - Building A.

[Jim O'Bryan]

As of today the estimated cost to complete the project is $20 million more than the last years estimate. Those costs will continue to increase. Banks are refusing to finance the entire project now and I don't see them changing their minds any time soon.

The project will never be completed without even more taxpayer subsidies. To what end?

Overall the Council and the Mayor are doing a fine job but you all have a blind spot when it comes to Hospital site development.

Bill

It is called scrubbing the crime scene.

I agree with Mager, time for an overhaul. To many with blood on their hands. No just from an ignorant screwed up deal costing us our second largest employer, but with the various cover-ups, intimidation and favors served for simply being on the the mayor's side of this incredibly bad deal.

Let the hole sit until something worthwhile comes along.

Again the biggest demand/defense to fill it comes from those that dug it.

.

[Bill Call]

https://www.crainscleveland.com/real-es ... pital-site

[David Anderson]

Mr. Call, you wrote, "The latest plan is for a small affordable apartment building at the South end of the Big Hole."
Jim, you wrote, "It is called scrubbing the crime scene."

There is no change in design or overall plan (20:40) other than an additional story being added to the space that was to be occupied by Roundstone - Building A.


Yes, the whole thing sucks. I get it. Believe me, I get it. The fate of Lakewood Hospital was sealed long before the issue got to City Council.
- LHA would have been bankrupt with 4-5 years to go on the lease.
- LHA was solely responsible for operating losses, not the Clinic.
- Revenue producing medical services (services resulting in in-patient beds being occupied at a higher rate) were moved to Fairview and to the Clinic's main campus and were not coming back.
- The Clinic had unilateral veto power over whether to allow new capital improvement projects which is significant when the Lakewood Hospital complex needed $90 million in improvements.
- LHF, always has been and always will be a private foundation, was not interested in investing in the hospital complex.
- Less private pay health care consumers now and projected forward.
- Metro was not a viable option and was never formally reviewed by Metro's Board.
- UH, the original tenant that was established after Lakewood residents voted to get out of the municipal hospital business in 198? and establish the LHA, was not interested at all.
- No other hospital entity wanted to enter this market: not enough doctors and not enough patients for a new entity to share with UH, Clinic and Metro.

[Jim O'Bryan]

Mr. Call, you wrote, "The latest plan is for a small affordable apartment building at the South end of the Big Hole."
Jim, you wrote, "It is called scrubbing the crime scene."

There is no change in design or overall plan (20:40) other than an additional story being added to the space that was to be occupied by Roundstone - Building A.


Yes, the whole thing sucks. I get it. Believe me, I get it. The fate of Lakewood Hospital was sealed long before the issue got to City Council.
- LHA would have been bankrupt with 4-5 years to go on the lease.
- LHA was solely responsible for operating losses, not the Clinic.
- Revenue producing medical services (services resulting in in-patient beds being occupied at a higher rate) were moved to Fairview and to the Clinic's main campus and were not coming back.
- The Clinic had unilateral veto power over whether to allow new capital improvement projects which is significant when the Lakewood Hospital complex needed $90 million in improvements.
- LHF, always has been and always will be a private foundation, was not interested in investing in the hospital complex.
- Less private pay health care consumers now and projected forward.
- Metro was not a viable option and was never formally reviewed by Metro's Board.
- UH, the original tenant that was established after Lakewood residents voted to get out of the municipal hospital business in 198? and establish the LHA, was not interested at all.
- No other hospital entity wanted to enter this market: not enough doctors and not enough patients for a new entity to share with UH, Clinic and Metro.

David

Let's not rehash facts with fiction.

FACTS

Lakewood Hospital never lost money, after medicare and other payments kicked in. $5 million profit, was the worse it ever got, and was actually climbing based on the hospital serving the needs of the poor, aka those that needed it most, of course this upset many.

The hospital's future at the time of the fleecing, was 100% in the control of the Mayor and Council. It needed $87 million in updates.

LHF had just short of $80 million in a funds raised by Lakewoodites to fix and maintain the hospital. This was the real reason it was closed.

LHF was not a private foundation but a quasi-foundation where the residents and city of Lakewood could actually see the financial happenings, something we lost with the scheme moving it to a fully private institution run by those most vocal in demanding we close the hospital immediately. This was the real reason it was closed.

Things were being moved to Fairview because LHA, the Mayor and Council never once tried to keep them to the contract. Instead they were released when the pipe dream of Rec Center popped up.

At the time both Metro and the VA were interested with an actual deal on the table from Metro. But they wanted the money Lakewood had collected for the repairs/updates and of course that wouldn't work as the architects of the hospital debacle wanted those funds for themselves. Emails between County Exec and the Mayor, show why Metro deal was killed.

Let's also remember that the city paid over $230,000 to Lakewood Observer attorneys for covering up, lying and destroying public documents, related to the entire scheme. And that the City of Lakewood hired a felon illegally on the city payroll to go after people including our lawyers, that were speaking out simply for asking for truth and asking for PUBLIC documents, the courts had already said we had a right to.

And that you were fully aware of all of it. "Maybe you deserve it." remember?

Finally for those of you that never followed it. The City and Council promised $287 million in new Development. In a recorded interview with LHA President Kenneth Haber, he admitted "100% of that money originated with funds that were already in Lakewood's control."

ZERO outside money. The entire project was merely a game of 3-card Monte, as was pointed out in my story about talking with Ken. How to move $80 million without residents seeing it happen.

For those not into Law this nightmare is easy to figure out, Who got money and who didn't. Because Lakewood broke the contract and wanted out with the Cleveland Clinic, the Clinic was paid $67 million or so. Three Arches always knew where the Queen of Hearts would land in this 3-Card Monte got $60+ million to play with in private. And the residents of Lakewood receive $600,000 a year from OUR ACCOUNT now controlled by the Cleveland Clinic so it is not squandered like the Hospital was.

What ever goes in that hole needs to go a long way to filling in Lakewood's needs. Financially, Healthcare wise, Employment wise, and DowntowN wise. OR the FitzGerald/Summers administration and council were failures to protect Lakewood, over self interest.

$283,000,000 in public assets gone, in the blink of an eye. Of course they want the Holespital filled NOW! It is the blood stain that remains.

To go back to Bill's comment, what is being talked about is not even 10% to what the Mayor and Council promised us when the scheme was started. So smaller, would certainly apply. And honestly in this building environment, one small step means nothing towards overall completion of filling the hole you helped to dig.


Covering the meeting where the Mayor and Council assure Lakewood the hospital was not closing. 15 minutes later Toby Cosgrove assured everyone there it was closing June 16, and City Hall knew it. CCF was being honest, City Hall was not. Our chart on the front page underlines the actual loss, where the Mayor and you assured the city I was lying. Well, look at it today.

Who was lying?

The FBI has a rule, anything started by illicit means, never becomes legit because of the illicit foundation it was built on.

Hence "Scrubbing the scene"

FWIW

.

[David Anderson]

LHA total assets were deteriorating thus the position that it would be bankrupt 4-6 years prior to the end of the lease.

The Clinic had veto power over any capital improvement plan.

What is a “quasi” foundation? It’s either public or private. A private foundation can choose to make some financial statements available to the public but it’s still a private foundation. LHF was reporting about $50 million in private assets at the time then announced more than halfway through that year that it was not going to be part of the effort going forward.

We agree, Metro wanted all the assets with no guarantee of a commitment to the complex after rebuilding its W. 25th street complex.

We agree, procedures that would have improved the inpatient bed occupancy rate above the then 30 percent of so were moved to Fairview or consolidated to CCF Main.

“Maybe you deserve it?” Are you serious? There is zero chance that those words came out of my mouth if I thought you could be a victim of some sort of crime or intimidation. I’m done with you personally attacking me.

[Jim O'Bryan]

LHA total assets were deteriorating thus the position that it would be bankrupt 4-6 years prior to the end of the lease.

“Maybe you deserve it?” Are you serious? There is zero chance that those words came out of my mouth if I thought you could be a victim of some sort of crime or intimidation. I’m done with you personally attacking me.

So let's get this straight before you run off.

You were aware of all the rest, and never once spoke up a person elected to protect the city and people of Lakewood.

You are merely doubting those 4 words were said by you.

Back to Bill Mager, here is the proof the city has a sickness, and that it needs to be flushed.

Lying, destroying documents, even illegal acts all fine against any residents in that prior administration, so long as it worked for them.

I get why some need to see the hole they dug filled.

Quasi Foundation = A Foundation where 3 elected officials who took an oath of office sit on the board, and records can be retrieved. How many on the new foundation? How much oversight do Lakewood residents have? Can they vote members in and out. Ohhhhhhhh

.

[Mark Kindt]

Mr. Call, you wrote, "The latest plan is for a small affordable apartment building at the South end of the Big Hole."
Jim, you wrote, "It is called scrubbing the crime scene."

There is no change in design or overall plan (20:40) other than an additional story being added to the space that was to be occupied by Roundstone - Building A.


Yes, the whole thing sucks. I get it. Believe me, I get it. The fate of Lakewood Hospital was sealed long before the issue got to City Council.
- LHA would have been bankrupt with 4-5 years to go on the lease.
- LHA was solely responsible for operating losses, not the Clinic.
- Revenue producing medical services (services resulting in in-patient beds being occupied at a higher rate) were moved to Fairview and to the Clinic's main campus and were not coming back.
- The Clinic had unilateral veto power over whether to allow new capital improvement projects which is significant when the Lakewood Hospital complex needed $90 million in improvements.
- LHF, always has been and always will be a private foundation, was not interested in investing in the hospital complex.
- Less private pay health care consumers now and projected forward.
- Metro was not a viable option and was never formally reviewed by Metro's Board.
- UH, the original tenant that was established after Lakewood residents voted to get out of the municipal hospital business in 198? and establish the LHA, was not interested at all.
- No other hospital entity wanted to enter this market: not enough doctors and not enough patients for a new entity to share with UH, Clinic and Metro.

I don't intend to reengage this topic other than to note that the process was ridden with conflicts of interest that city council was aware of; many described at length on the Deck by me with supporting documentation and legal analysis along with other violations of open government related to open meetings, access to public records, and subsequent violations of court orders by the City Law Department pertaining to orders that granted access to sought-for public documents. It was unbelievable. The behavior of the City Law Department was, frankly, repugnant and offensive.

As a life-long Democrat and former senior public employee in state and federal government and as a lawyer with decades of experience, I was astounded by what I witnessed in Lakewood City Government and the consequential outcomes that still cannot be addressed successfully.

I commend each citizen and each attorney that attempted to stem the tide of this epic public policy failure. Whether Lakewood recovers still remains an open question to me.

[David Anderson]

How many times have we spoken one on one since 2015, Jim? Twenty or so. You’ve never once said anything like this to me. All that pent up anger towards me any you keep waiving to me as you drive by. Even shaking my hand on occasion. Nice, cool and relaxed Jim. I never knew you had so much hate and anger towards me. As I run off? That’s rich coming from you.

I merely came on here to refute Mr. Call’s claim with what actually took place during a recent hearing.

If you want to know anything about my actions after hearing your allegations, well, then, you know where I live and I’m outside all the time.