State Releases RFP on Shattuck Hospital with Emphasis on Public Health

The state Division of Capital Asset Management and Maintenance (DCAMM) is preparing to submit a project proposal for the Shattuck Hospital in Jamaica Plain that is heavy on making the entire 13-acre campus into a center for integrated health care, behavioral health and supportive housing.

The project proposal is scheduled for a public meeting on April 13, at 6 p.m. online, and the project proposal document was posted on March 24. The comments from that meeting, along with further state review, will result in a public-private partnership with a developer who will lead the transformation of the campus even before the Shattuck makes its move in 2024 to the South End’s Newton Pavilion.

“The Commonwealth hopes to enter into a Public-Private Partnership to provide an integrated program of health care, behavioral health, and housing services at the Site,” read the proposal. “The selected developer/service provider will partner with the Commonwealth on master site planning and permitting, and implement a phased redevelopment approach with the goal of beginning site redevelopment prior to the Hospital relocating to the South End.”

The project proposal has to meet the four stated needs below, much of these looking like what has commonly been referred to as a Recovery Campus. The goals for the state in the project include:

•Provide stable health care and housing options for underserved populations, including the chronically homeless;

•Provide integrated, ‘person-centered’ behavioral and physical health care and housing systems;

•Provide substance use disorder (SUD) and mental health services that play a critical role in regional public health and treatment systems;

•Provide safe, stable and supportive housing that contributes positively to health outcomes, and contributes to the supply of supportive housing in the region.

The project proposal has all the makings of hurrying the process along, which is very desirable for South End neighbors who would like to see more social services relocated to the Shattuck prior to 2024. One of the hurry-ups in the process is to quickly move on developing supportive housing on about two acres of the campus. A contentious planning process for that project took place in 2018, and ended up approving a supportive housing plan for that part of the campus.

The project plan asks for any developer chosen to move on that piece and others before the 2024 move of the Shattuck.

“While the Hospital will not be relocating until 2024, a portion of the Site is already available for redevelopment and the opportunity to develop difficult-to-site Public Health Uses including Low Threshold Supportive Housing at a location that already provides services to this population is a unique opportunity that the Proposing Agencies would like to capitalize upon quickly,” read the plan. “Additionally, the overall Site will benefit from the identification of a redevelopment partner for the coordination of long lead-time activities such as master site planning, including infrastructure planning, and permitting. Thus, the Proposing Agencies wish to move forward with the RFP as soon as is practical.”

The public benefit of the project includes integration of ‘low-threshold’ and ‘person-centered’ programs of supportive housing, detox/recovery beds, MAT treatment and Mental/Physical health treatment.

The project would also seek to integrate the campus in a better way to the park and nearby open space.

“Additional public benefit will come from intentional site design that will connect the Campus to park, open space and improved transportation options, and will consider site design as an integrated aspect of and an amenity for the public health uses,” read the proposal.

The Virtual Public Hearing will be held on April 13 at 6:30-8 p.m. At the Virtual Public Hearing, the public may provide comments on the proposed project. Information on participating in the Virtual Public Hearing will be posted on the Project Website.

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