Spotlight: Premier Health, City of Dayton Set Stage for Successful Redevelopment of Former Good Samaritan Hospital Site

Premier Health and the City of Dayton reaffirmed their long-term partnership to foster positive redevelopment of neighborhoods in the northwest part of the city, pledging a combined $30 million to redevelop the former Good Samaritan Hospital site and surrounding neighborhoods.

The health system and city announced on Dec. 2 that each has pledged $15 million to leverage in the redevelopment of the hospital campus, which closed in July 2018. The commitment over the next decade extends a revitalization partnership that began more than 15 years ago as the Phoenix Project.

“The success of Northwest Dayton is key to the health of our region,” said Mary Boosalis, president and CEO of Premier Health. “Our health system takes its responsibility as a corporate citizen seriously, and we’re dedicated to doing our part to attract significant reinvestment and energy to the neighborhoods surrounding the former Good Samaritan Hospital campus.”

As part of that commitment, Premier Health will in addition cover expenses associated with preparing the former Good Samaritan Hospital site for redevelopment.

“The redevelopment of the former Good Samaritan Hospital is a critical project for the City of Dayton, and the Phoenix Next Vision Document will lay the groundwork for this work,” said Dayton Mayor Nan Whaley. “The City of Dayton and Premier Health are committed to working in partnership over the next 10 years to ensure that this vision becomes a reality. I am so pleased that Premier has committed additional resources toward the ongoing stability of the Salem Avenue Corridor and to the execution of this vision.”

Premier Health and the City of Dayton also released a “Re-use and Investment Vision” for the area immediately surrounding the former Good Samaritan Hospital campus that was developed through a collaborative effort over the past year. The vision focuses on two areas: promoting health and wellness, and advancing next-generation learning.

As part of the redevelopment effort, a new nonprofit organization, Phoenix Next Dayton, will form to guide the redevelopment effort. A new board will be seated in January 2020. New board members will include Shelley Dickstein and Todd Kinskey from the City of Dayton; Eloise Broner and Patrick Ray from Premier Health; and community members Sister Carol Bauer and Belinda Matthews Stenson.

“We have listened carefully to the opinions of more than 500 people who care deeply about what the next chapter looks like for these neighborhoods and how it will unfold,” said Broner, who will chair the nonprofit board. “We have very much appreciated their input, which will help inform our ongoing redevelopment efforts for years to come.”

The Phoenix Project to date has resulted in investments of more than $20 million from the City of Dayton, Premier Health, and CityWide Development that were used to leverage an additional $45 million. Phoenix Next was launched in early 2018 to create a vision for the re-use of the 13-acre site formerly occupied by Good Samaritan Hospital, as well as surrounding neighborhoods.

Back to the December 2019 issue of Premier Pulse.