LYNN — Procopio Companies of Lynnfield is North Shore Medical Center’s (NSMC) choice to build housing and a small retail center on land now occupied by Union Hospital.
The selection announced Tuesday by NSMC is the latest move in the Lynnfield Street hospital complex’s transformation from a traditional medical care facility to a mix of medical and residential uses.
NSMC picked Procopio, the developer building a high-rise residential project in downtown Lynn, for the sale and redevelopment of approximately 15 acres on the 20-acre hospital site.
A statement provided by NSMC described The Procopio Companies development plan for the hospital site as a mixed-use development that includes age-restricted residential apartments and townhouses, as well as small retail and open space on the street level.
Michael Procopio, Vice President of Development for The Procopio Companies, said the firm’s plan for the hospital site will go through probably a year-long city review process and fine-tuning that will finish up with NSMC selling the 15-acre site to Procopio.
“We are super excited about it. We see a ton of potential in Lynn,” he said.
This is a week of major developments at Union Hospital with the hospital’s emergency room closing last Sunday and the Procopio announcement. NSMC is consolidating Union and Salem hospitals and will be vacating the current NSMC Union Hospital buildings next spring.
NSMC is retaining approximately one-quarter of the Union Hospital site and constructing a 42,000 square-foot “medical village” there. Under construction today and opening in May 2020, the outpatient building will include Partners Urgent Care, North Shore Physicians Group primary and specialty physicians, imaging (mammography, X-ray, ultrasound and bone density), outpatient behavioral health and access to lab services, such as blood drawing.
Community meetings attended by city residents and elected officials preceded planning for the medical village and the selection of a bidder to undertake the residential-retail development on the hospital site.
NSMC President David J. Roberts explained in the hospital statement why Procopio is the project’s preferred developer.
“The Procopio Companies proposal incorporates development objectives that were identified by the City, community groups and local neighbors during a comprehensive planning process,” Roberts said, adding, “We are encouraged that the proposal seeks to serve important needs of Lynn residents and complement the health care services we will continue to provide on the Union Campus.”
A city-led planning process completed last year identified senior housing as the preferred option for redeveloping the Union Hospital site.
Now that a proposal has been selected by NSMC, The Procopio Companies will work with the city to develop more detailed plans, determine feasibility and evaluate the zoning and approval process.
NSMC hopes to complete the sale of the property by June 2020, according to the statement.
As part of its plan to end emergency care at Union Hospital and open an expanded emergency department at Salem Hospital, NSMC is continuing to provide urgent care at Union Hospital.
Care will continue to be available in the Union Hospital emergency department on the Union Campus until May 2020, when services will move into the medical village under construction on the site.
