Shuttered Delco Hospital Eyed By Local School District

UPPER DARBY, PA — The Upper Darby School District is looking to buy one of Delaware County's now-shuttered hospitals.

The district has submitted a proposal to purchase Delaware County Memorial Hospital for $600,000 from its owner, Prospect Medical Holdings.

"This purchase is part of our long-term facilities improvement plan to address the evolving needs of our students and school community," the district said in a statement. "We understand that the closure of the hospital has caused disappointment and concern in the community. We have consistently stated if it was decided that DCMH were to remain a functioning hospital, the district would have fully supported that outcome."

The district said after a court approved Prospect's request to possibly abandon the facility, it decided to pursue acquiring the space to meet its current and future space needs.

"In the long term, we envision possibly repurposing the building as an extension of our high school campus—having it serve as a STEAM building," the district said. "Short term, we plan to demolish the building and stabilize the site—potentially having it serve as swing space to support much-needed renovations across our elementary schools. We believe this acquisition offers a once-in-a-generation opportunity to reimagine the property in a way that directly benefits our students and families for decades to come."

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The sale agreement must be reached by Aug. 13, or Prospect will abandon the property, Action News reports.

A judge recently approved Prospect's plan to abandon the property unless a sale is made, the Delaware County Daily Times reports.

Delaware County Memorial Hospital is right next to Upper Darby High School.

The facility closed in 2022.