Bidders submit proposals for Orleans nursing home

ALBION – The Orleans County Health Facilities Corporation, the organization that is working with county officials to find a buyer for the nursing home, said bidders have submitted proposals that would pay off the county debt on the Route 31 site.

That’s all the details the local development corporation will release after meeting Friday to review the offers for The Villages of Orleans, the 120-bed nursing home.

The LDC and county attorneys said specific details of the proposals will not be made public right now because doing so could impact negotiations as well as the purchase price.

“We can say that we have some very strong proposals from highly qualified nursing home operators with successful track records in the long-term care industry and with the New York State Department of Health,” said Russell Martino, chairman of the LDC board. “All proposals submitted satisfy the financial needs of the county relative to the outstanding debt. Based on what we’re seeing, we have some really positive choices to make.”

The county still owes $8 million on a 2006 renovation and expansion project that cost $10 million. Orleans also owes $300,000 from a renovation in 1994. The county is scheduled to be paying on the $8 million in debt until 2026.

The LDC board will interview the potential operators and visit homes they are currently own and operate. The LDC will also study data about the operators provided by state and federal agencies.

The LDC won’t necessarily take the highest bid for the nursing home. Martino has said other factors will be part of the decision, incuding maintaining a partnership with Albion Central School to continue a classroom for high school students at the site.

Completion of the transaction will allow the new provider to begin the process of obtaining a certificate of need from the state Department of Health, a process that can take 12 to 18 months. The county could own The Villages until at least 2015.