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Mammoth Hospital plans to buy College’s South Gateway Apartments
Mammoth Lakes Foundation Executive Director Rich Boccia and Mammoth Hospital CEO Gary Myers both told The Sheet this week that the Foundation and Mammoth Hospital have been discussing the possible sale of the South Gateway Student Apartments at Cerro Coso college to the Hospital for approximately a year.
Myers said on Tuesday, November 21 that the Hospital has offered approximately $3.5 million for the apartment building and the 11-acre parcel it sits on.
“Entering into the agreement we’ll be acquiring a 50 percent interest in both the building and the land,” said Myers. “Having a partner like us that can manage building and facility” would be beneficial for the MLF, who Myers said were the ones to approach the Hospital with the proposition. Myers said the Hospital currently manages over 100,000 square feet of property.
On September 20, Mammoth’s Town Council voted to approve an amendment to the Institutional Public Land Use Designation affecting a 57 acre parcel of land owned by the MLF and the Kern Community College District (See “Old School 2,” September 22). Mammoth’s Planning and Economic Development Commission approved the amendment on August 9.
When asked whether the possible sale of the apartments to Mammoth Hospital was ever mentioned at any of the Town meetings prior to the amendment’s passing, Boccia said he did not believe it was.
Myers told The Sheet that, while the Hospital’s plans to purchase the building were not mentioned at either the PEDC or Town Council meetings where the zoning change was approved, they were mentioned “very specifically” on the agendas for the Southern Mono Healthcare District. The Sheet did find a closed session agenda item first appearing on April 20, 2017 for “Real Estate Matter: South Gateway Student Apartments.” The MLF submitted an application for the amendment on May 25.
