Centura's Penrose-St. Francis Health Services is consideringselling its 190,000-square-foot Penrose Community Hospital facility.
CEO Rick O'Connell confirmed that the Penrose had received anunsolicited offer for the 10.6 acre property at 3205 N. AcademyBlvd., but said that no discussions between Centura and theprospective buyer are under way.
'We really haven't even listed the property with a broker yet,but we do know that site will not become another hospital,' saidPenrose spokeswoman Amy Sufak, adding that the health system isprimarily focused on its move north.
By summer, nearly all of PCH's operations will be transferred tothe new St. Francis Medical Center on North Powers Boulevard. Themove will coincide with the search for a new home near AcademyBoulevard for its busy critical care unit.
The hospital serves nearly 40,000 emergency room clients per yearand is among the top 10 busiest emergency rooms in Colorado.
Finding an easily-accessed building location for emergencyservices shouldn't be a problem. Thanks to a significant retailexodus to shopping centers along the Powers corridor and points eastand north during the past three years, plenty of inventory alongAcademy remains for lease or for sale.
Property sales have been picking up, however.
The Grand West Outfitters building was purchased by the owners ofCarpet Clearance Warehouse this year after two years on the market.The vacant 11,874-square foot Black Angus Restaurant building on1.67 acres was purchased on Nov. 8 by D&D Ventures LLC of Los Gatos,Calif..
Brian Wagner, president of the Realtor Commercial IndustrialSociety and a Sierra Commercial Real Estate broker, said he seesuses along the commercial corridor shifting with the hospital'smove.
'There will still be plenty of demand because of the number ofrooftops there for family practitioners, internal medicine and OB/GYN docs,' he said. 'But I don't see the specialists wanting to stayonce the hospital moves.'
Speculation among brokers about future users for the PCH sitesruns the gamut, from a mid-box retailer that might want to demolishthe existing structure and build ground-up to a related but non-competitive health care use.
'I think a long-term health care facility or assisted livingcompany would be a good fit,' Wagner said.
Several elder care operations, such as the Winslow CourtRetirement Community, Adult Day Services at 2233 N. Academy Blvd.,Life at the Bluffs at 3958 N. Academy Blvd, Cypress Court at 2850 N.Academy Blvd., Garden Ranch Senior Care at 5075 Saddle Drive, theSunrise Assisted Living at University Park, as well as seniorservice providers have offices in the area.
'Whatever the use, it's a great location,' Wagner said. 'Thereare still thousands of people in the immediate area to provide agood employment base and who need all kinds of services.'
