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KPPC STATUS REPORT
It has been more than ten years since the Kings Park Psychiatric
Center closed its doors and the outcome of this property is still up
in the air. The following is a history of this property-
1885: An asylum owned by
Kings County opens to treat the mentally ill.
1895: It becomes state-owned.
1954: Center's population
reaches about 9,300 patients and staff, but new therapies result in
declining population through early 1990s.
1996: Center closes; small
number of patients and staff remain on site.
1999: Governor Pataki carves
out 153 acres to become Nissequogue River State Park.
March 2000: The State puts
property up for sale. Officials say cleanup could cost $50-$60
million.
May 2003: Lamb Acquisitions
LLC wins bid to buy property for $7.5 million for mixed-use
development.
June 2004: Lamb pulls out.
Erickson Retirement Community wins bid for $7.12 million with plans
for 1,500 senior housing units.
October 2004: Erickson pulls
out.
December. 2004: Cherokee
Arker signs $6.5 million agreement to purchase land to build up to
1,800 housing units.
January 2006: After much
community opposition, The State's Empire State Development Corp.
pulls out of the deal with Cherokee Arker, which files suit a month
later. The lower court upholds the State's actions, and this
decision is presently on appeal.
April 2006: State Sen. John
Flanagan (R-East Northport) secures $25 million for cleanup.
December 2006: The State
agrees to transfer the property to the State Parks Department,
adding 368 acres to Nissequogue River State Park. This not only
protects the environment, protects the community from high density
housing, but also saves the nearly one million dollars the State
pays to the Kings Park School District.
January 2007: The Spitzer
Administration questions the creation of parkland and has yet to
commit to this newly created park.
At the time of this writing the fate of the center is still unknown.
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