Even Weirder in Brooklyn: SUNY to Allow RFP Bidders to Totally Change Their Offers for LICH

Photo: MK Metz

 We didn't think it could get any weirder -- but in yet another twist to SUNY Downstate's bizarre RFP (Request for Proposals) process to sell Long Island College Hospital (LICH), SUNY Downstate announced last night that everyone who participated in the original questionable, secret, real-estate oriented RFP has a couple of days to rejigger their proposals.

That's right! All you secret bidders have until Feb. 3 to totally change everything about your secret bids.

Why would SUNY do this? It could be, as SUNY says, they want to be as open and honest as possible. They have said that they will even let someone from the community look at the results this time around.

Or . . .

SUNY's chosen "winning" RFP bidder, the mega-developer Fortis which wants to build condos, tried to change their proposal after the RFP process ended.

But losing bidder Brooklyn Hospital Center, which wants to build 1,000 apartments on the property of their rival hospital LICH, pulled a hissy fit.

SUNY couldn't very well allow Fortis to change their bid after the RFP ended without allowing everyone to do so.

So it's a free for all for the chosen few developers. The secret bidders can pair with different developers or clinics, merge with shell corporations from Moracco, or join together with their original rivals to put a deal together before Feb. 3.

After all, the RFP is shut to everyone else, and they all know the players and the offers on the table. And there's no competition from anyone wanting to keep LICH operating as a hospital! It's brilliant in a totally dirty, scumbag sort of way.

The only requirement for the participating developers is that they throw in some kind of health care services somewhere near where LICH that is "consistent with the health care needs of the community," as the developer considers those needs.

 And to pay SUNY at least a quarter of a billion for the "LICH property, plant, and equipment."

LICH supporters say they "will fight until hell freezes over."

The SUNY contempt trial is February 11. 

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