UK: The famous hospital, notorious for housing patients such as the Yorkshire Ripper and Ian Brady, is set to be sold, with bids counting in the millions.
With a 157-year old history, the conversion would be solely for the Victorian wing of the facility and is being apparently courted by a variety of boutique hotel chains.
The sale, facilitated by the West London NHS trust, will entirely go towards the £250 million new hospital for the grounds, necessary as the space was declared “not fit for purpose,” in 2009. The first new hospital wing opened earlier this year, striving to be a model for hope and recovery, serving 210 possible patients.
In response to concerns that the hospital and hotel’s proximity may be a potential security threat, as reported in the Sunday Telegraph, an insider stated: “There are strict security arrangements in place.”
“For most people living locally, the hospital really doesn’t have much effect on their lives. It just happens to be there.”
No particular hoteliers have been reported as major buyers, but many chains have been asked to serve as buyers and renovators. “It’s no good if these old buildings are left empty,” said Victorian Society director Christopher Costelloe in the Mirror, “because they just rot away.”
The timeline for the sale is set for the next few weeks. Manchester saw a similar renovation with its stock exchange, taking the area which was a popular congregation spot for the homeless and transforming it into a boutique hotel.
