Comptroller won’t compromise on BJH lease
Of the St. Louis American
A contingent of black alderpersons met with Comptroller Darlene Green this week in an effort to change her opinion of a proposed lease deal between the City of St. Louis and Barnes-Jewish Hospital.
“Her position remains the same,” said a “disappointed” Alderwoman April Ford Griffin, who along with several colleagues actively support the lease extension for its proposed benefits to their constituents and the city’s financial situation.
Green said that was an incorrect assessment of the meeting.
“I believe there’s progress being made on the BJC deal as evidenced by my continuous work and meetings with everyone involved on this very important issue,” Green said in a prepared statement.
Last week, Green and Board of Aldermen President Jim Shrewsbury stood together silent on a requested second for a motion of approval for an extended lease of 45 years on an isolated piece of Forest Park just west of Kingshighway.
The site currently has a BJH parking garage on it, along with tennis courts named for Arthur Ashe’s famed tennis coach Richard Hudlin.
Ford Griffin was joined at Tuesday’s meeting by Aldermen Terry Kennedy, Charles “Quincy” Troupe and Gregory Carter.
Troupe said he is “disturbed” that the deal did not go through. Troupe said the Board of Aldermen “rarely has consensus” on proposed bills, “but we had it this time.”
“I thought we had a great deal worked out, but then it seemed like there was no communication between (the black caucus) and the comptroller’s office,” Troupe said.
Troupe said he had worked with BJH for years as a legislator and that this relationship helped lead to the proposed improvements for North St. Louis parks and other parts of the deal.
Carter said they wanted Green to understand the deals they had worked out for this lease extension with BJC and the mayor’s office. Carter said, “We wanted her to see what we had done to benefit North St. Louis, which has been neglected for so many years.”
Ford Griffin said Green “was well aware” of the benefits that North City would reap as a result of the new lease agreement if approved.
According to BJC spokesperson June Fowler, Green’s refusal to approve the deal sacrificed:
* The opportunity for minority contractors to benefit from the $1.5 billion in construction that the project would have generated. Barnes-Jewish agreed to meet the city’s goal of 25 percent minority participation in the development of the Hudlin site – a request of the comptroller.
* The opportunity for neighborhood parks to have funds dedicated for their maintenance, especially important in North St. Louis because there is no dedicated, well-funded organization (like Forest Park Forever) raising hundreds of thousands of dollars for their upkeep and maintenance.
* The opportunity for St. Louis city children whose families cannot afford the membership fees of organizations like Mathews-Dickey, Herbert Hoover, St. Louis Boys Club and the Monsanto YMCA to have access to a $100,000 scholarship fund each year. This was placed into the ordinance as a compromise with the Aldermanic Black Caucus.
Ford Griffin said that BJH is a large employer of black St. Louisans and that many African Americans use the hospital – especially for childbirth.
“Any expansion would have to be near the hospital’s surgery department. It just can’t be put anywhere,” Griffin said, arguing in favor of the hospital’s expansion as outlined in the deal.
Fowler said the Aldermanic Black Caucus “is also concerned that by not allowing the only hospital in the city that still delivers babies and stayed in the city when other hospitals fled to St. Louis County and provides more charity care than any other hospital in the state to expand in the city, we might negatively impact African Americans’ access to future health care services.”
Shrewsbury, who was a co-sponsor of an ordinance that will allow an animal shelter to be constructed in Ellendale/Arsenal Park, has joined Green in a call to “let the people decide” on any city deals that would lease or sell part of any city park. However, there were no public forums on the decision about the animal shelter, and Green entered no objection to it.
According to Fowler, there were 18 public meetings on the BJH lease extension, beginning in March 2006. Three were held, publicized and hosted by Barnes-Jewish Hospital at locations in North, Central and South St. Louis.
“The citizens have had plenty of opportunities to have input into the process,” Fowler said.
Fowler said it is “odd” that Green seeks compromise, when public opponents to the deal have said they will accept no compromise and BJH has already agreed to changes in the leasing agreement. She said BJH has substantially increased the amount of money to be paid, agreed to retain 15 percent of the site as green space and reduced the total size of the extended lease area from potentially 14 acres to 9.4 acres, all as a result of negotiation.
“Green talks about the importance of compromise and finding middle ground, when representatives from Citizens to Protect Forest Park have said consistently that they will not negotiate with Barnes-Jewish Hospital and that there is no compromise they would agree to that would allow any hospital uses to be built on the land in question,” Fowler said.
“Barnes-Jewish Hospital has been willing to compromise and address the concerns of elected officials and those opposed to the lease from the beginning.”
Green held firm that not accepting the current proposal is the best course to follow.
“The longer this lease proposal is in the open and the more input there
is from all parties, the better any compromise will be,” Green said.
“Certainly the prospect of BJC expanding medical service anywhere in the city and becoming involved in educating our young people is a positive development.”
“I was hoping we could come together and call for a special meeting and move on this now,” Troupe said.
“We have more leverage now.”