Orleans may strike deal for nursing home next month

ALBION – Orleans County could reach an agreement to sell the nursing home next month.

The three-man board of Orleans County Health Facilities Corporation received two qualifying bids for the 120-bed Villages of Orleans.

The HFC, a local development corporation formed by the County Legislature to sell the nursing home, received requests to buy the site by an Oct. 16 deadline.

The Health Facilities Corporation is chaired by Russ Martino, a former Yates town supervisor and retired Lyndonville elementary principal. The LDC met today in executive session. It issued a statement this evening saying it will pursue a sale with two of the bidders.

One of the groups is led by Mordy Lahasky, Benjamin Fuchs and Benjamin Landa, which has multiple facilities in the Albany, Long Island and New York City. The other group is led by Kenneth Rozenberg and has multiple facilities across New York State.

Each bidding group will consider keeping existing employees, continue services for existing residents, maintain important community programs and continue to serve as landlord to the resident county offices, according to the news release.

The board anticipates entering a binding sale agreement in December 2013 with a change in the licensed operator as of Dec. 31, 2014.The state Department of Health will review the proposal, which often takes a year to get through Albany.

The LDC board anticipates meeting again next month to approve the final sale agreement.

County officials did not disclose the offers from the two entities.