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The measure would move forward the Norwood Hospital’s construction project and transfer the property to a new, nonprofit entity.
The Norwood Hospital in 2024 David L Ryan/The Boston Globe
More than six years after flooding forced Norwood Hospital to close, lawmakers are advancing a plan to seize the property and transfer it to a new nonprofit owner.
The Massachusetts Senate approved a bill Wednesday that would authorize Gov. Maura Healey’s administration to seize the shuttered Norwood Hospital property through eminent domain. This measure could facilitate the completion of construction and enable the transfer of the property to a new owner.
“With this bill, the Commonwealth is stepping up to finish the job, and I will not let up until a trustworthy nonprofit operator has this hospital open, staffed, and serving the families who have waited far too long,” Sen. Michael Rush, the lead sponsor of the legislation, said in a press release.
Healey’s office did not immediately respond to a request for comment Thursday afternoon.
Norwood Hospital has remained closed since June 28, 2020, following a devastating flood that forced 90 people to evacuate and destroyed the facility’s electrical room.
In October 2024, Steward Health Care, a for-profit national chain that operated Norwood Hospital, filed for bankruptcy. Construction on the hospital had stopped earlier that year when payments from Steward ended, and the unfinished structure has been sitting idle since.
“Enough is enough. Our Norfolk County and Greater Boston neighbors who relied on Norwood Hospital deserve more than a partially finished building that should have been completed years ago,” Senate President Karen E. Spilka said. “It’s time for a responsible party to step in and finish the job.”
The bill would authorize the state Division of Capital Asset Management and Maintenance (DCAMM) to take the 11-acre property from its owner, Medical Properties Trust, Inc., an Alabama-based real estate investment trust. The property could then be transferred or leased to a “qualified nonprofit entity for the purposes of a health care facility,” the legislation states.
The bill now heads to the House, which approved a narrower version of the measure on July 1. If enacted, the eminent domain process would begin Nov. 1, per the legislation.
MPT did not immediately respond to a request for comment Thursday afternoon.
In a fact sheet published on its website, MPT said it invested more than $350 million in rebuilding the hospital and argued that it did not abandon the construction project.
“The fastest and least costly way to reopen Norwood Hospital is to let MPT finish construction of the facility and find a qualified operator,” the document states. “The Commonwealth of Massachusetts should work collaboratively with MPT to ensure the chosen operator receives the determination of need (DoN) necessary to sustain operations at Norwood.”
MPT did not mention the potential property seizure in the fact sheet.
The Senate bill additionally outlines a contingency plan if a nonprofit entity does not complete a purchase of the property by Jan. 15, 2033. DCAMM would be permitted to sell the land, arrange a lease lasting as long as 99 years, or otherwise transfer an interest in it. The town of Norwood would also be granted the right of first refusal to acquire, lease, or secure an interest in these specific land parcels.
The bill follows unsuccessful efforts to return Norwood Hospital to service through a private sale.
Mass General Brigham and the owner of the 11-acre construction site discussed reopening the hospital late last year, but those negotiations ultimately fell through because of the high sum MPT requested from MGB in exchange for the property, The Boston Globe reported last month.
“After Steward’s private equity backers cashed out, Medical Properties Trust was left holding this site. Despite years of our best efforts, the owner has stonewalled the sale of the property to a competent provider and bargained with people’s lives,” Rush said.
The town of Norwood General Manager Tony Mazzucco said the measure is a “significant and deeply meaningful step forward” for the region, thanking advocates and officials who pushed for the preservation of the hospital.
“This moment is meaningful, but it is not the end of the work. There are still important steps ahead and a long road before us,” Mazzucco said in a statement. “We will need the same spirit of collaboration and the same willingness to fight for a better future to see this through to completion. This is, in many ways, the end of the beginning.”
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