SCOTT STEINER: Clarification of misleading statements about proposed Phoebe project

Recently, The Albany Herald published a lengthy guest column from Albany-Dougherty Historic Preservation Commission member Hope Campbell that included numerous misleading and inaccurate statements about the Living and Learning Community project planned on Phoebe’s main campus at the site of a former public school.

It should be noted that Mrs. Campbell did not bring up any of her concerns or ask any questions during our presentation to the HPC before she voted against allowing the project to move forward. We do not want to exacerbate the unfortunate attempt by a few individuals to create a divisive debate by engaging in a point-by-point refutation of Mrs. Campbell’s allegations. It is, however, necessary to address a few of her most egregious accusations.

In my time at Phoebe — and, to my knowledge, at no time since Phoebe has owned the school property — has anyone approached Phoebe with a redevelopment plan for the property. Before the COVID-19 pandemic, we did reach out to a local developer and had preliminary discussions about potential redevelopment options on some Phoebe property, including the school site. That developer’s only interest was in providing housing for traveling contract nurses, and he requested Phoebe sign absolute net leases of 50 and 75 years with no limitations on who could live in such housing.

This was not a tenable option and was not pursued further as we continued to battle COVID throughout 2020 and 2021. As we began to investigate the possibility of pursuing a Living and Learning Community project to focus on training significantly more nursing students, this developer indicated that he was no longer interested in participating in the project and wished us good luck. The current project is the only viable plan proposed for the site in the 22 years since the school closed.

Contrary to Mrs. Campbell’s assertion, we did not conceal our plans from the HPC. In fact, in April of this year, I personally met with the chairman, Bryant Harden, and the vice chairman of the HPC to present our plans for both the Living and Learning Community and the new tower on Fourth Avenue that will include a new emergency and trauma center, NICU and ICU. Both HPC leaders told us they were impressed with the projects and expressed their general support.

We fully evaluated multiple location options for the Living and Learning Community and explored ways to preserve the existing structure. Construction experts told us there is simply no way the current building could be adapted to meet our needs. For instance, it would be impossible to add a third floor, which is a vital part of the plan.

That said, we recognize the historical importance of this building. Many of the original design elements of the structure were removed or changed decades ago, but in our redevelopment planning, we included ways to honor the legacy of education at the site, preserve iconic parts of the building, return the authentic look of the main entrance, which has been significantly altered, and include many original architectural elements. This is a repurposing of the historic property that moves the city and county forward for the benefit of all our community while respecting the contributions of past generations of students and educators.

In addition to continuing the legacy of learning, the school site makes the most sense as the location for this project for many other reasons. It will be connected to other education centers already in operation, including the Southwest Campus of the Medical College of Georgia and the UGA College of Pharmacy’s Southwest Georgia Clinical Campus. It will be directly across the street from our main hospital and the Phoebe Simulation & Innovation Center, where our next generation of nurses and health care professional students will complete clinical rotations and other training. It will allow for a “campus” atmosphere that will help attract students from throughout the region and will deliver a uniquely connective learning experience. It will provide a safe environment for the nursing students who choose to live in the on-site apartments while they complete their education. And it will add new life and a beautiful new development to the important and busy Jefferson Street corridor leading to downtown Albany.

The return on investment will be realized by the entire community through the education of hundreds of new nurses, the stabilization of nursing care in our region, the creation of hundreds of well-paying jobs for residents of Albany and the region, and cost savings from the reduction of contract labor that will permit Phoebe to maintain and improve health care for Albany and Dougherty County.

The Living and Learning Community is the largest redevelopment project proposed in the city of Albany in years. The plan has received broad support throughout the community, including unanimous approval by the Albany City Commission and dozens of former students of the school with whom we met to discuss the project. The Albany Area Chamber of Commerce and many community leaders have spoken out forcefully in favor of the project.

While we respect the court process that is currently playing out, we hope a small handful of opponents will not succeed in their efforts to stand in the way of a project that will dramatically increase the number of new nurse graduates in our region, ensure continued access to quality and comprehensive health care services, and benefit our community in myriad ways for decades to come.