Future Of Hoboken Hospital Uncertain: City Debates Development Proposals

HOBOKEN, NJ — Hoboken's hospital is going through bankruptcy proceedings, and as a new buyer hopes to take it over, local officials are discussing its future.

A controversial resolution to ask the Planning Board to declare the property an Area in Need of Redevelopment has been removed from Wednesday's council agenda, said one council member.

Such a declaration could allow the city to seek developers and change the zoning, which right now only allows for the hospital and its parking garage.

Several council members expressed concerns in the past week that the city would move too fast, and might allow an out of scale residential building to be part of redevelopment plans.

Dates Back To Civil War

Hoboken University Medical Center, at Willow Avenue and Fourth Street, was formerly St. Mary Hospital. It was founded in 1863 by Franciscan nuns to treat wounded Civil War soldiers, according to historians.

Because it's located in a city and serves some impoverished residents of Hudson County, the 348-bed acute care hospital has partly relied on reimbursement through Charity Care funds, leading to financial problems.

This week, council members debated potential rehabilitation plans for the structure.

"The [city] administration and the new owners came to the council with a proposal for the hospital," said Councilman Paul Presinzano on Tuesday. "The plan does include building a new hospital, but there will be trade-offs. Now, after just one meeting, there is already a resolution on the agenda to start a study for a redevelopment plan ... We get one crack at this and I want to make sure Hoboken gets the best deal without 'giving away the farm.' "

He added, "We need to protect jobs, benefits, and the best interests of our community. Why haven’t we asked the public for input before moving forward? The bankruptcy case isn’t even settled yet—shouldn’t we wait for that?"

The current owners of the hospital, CarePoint, declared bankruptcy in 2024. A new firm is hoping to take over the hospital and other local facilities. READ MORE: Secaucus Hospital Owner Continues Quest To Own 4 Hudson County Hospitals

Councilwoman Tiffanie Fisher said Wednesday that she's also concerned about the plans moving too fast.

"What I want to happen is to ensure that we have a sustainable hospital facility in Hoboken to serve Hoboken residents and continue serving the residents of the surrounding area," she said. "The hospitals in Hoboken and Jersey City [Christ Hospital] ... are important hospitals for their region. They're important safety net hospitals."

Fisher sits on the board of Hoboken's hospital, but said she didn't have an extra insight into the future plans for the building.

She said that changing the zoning could allow "upzoning" or larger buildings than currently allowed.

The council originally planned to discuss the matter on Wednesday night. The Facebook link to watch Wednesday's meeting is here; YouTube here.

You can also see the agendas and packets for the council meetings here.

Read a prior financial report about the hospital here.

Read prior reporting: Secaucus Hospital Owner Continues Quest To Own 4 Hudson County Hospitals