Lakeville Hospital, also known as the Lakeville State Sanatorium, was a state-operated

sanatorium A sanatorium (from Latin '' sānāre'' 'to heal'), also sanitarium or sanitorium, is a historic name for a specialised hospital for the treatment of specific diseases, related ailments, and convalescence. Sanatoriums are often in a health ...

Lakeville, Massachusetts Lakeville is a town in Plymouth County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 11,523 at the 2020 census. History Native Americans inhabited southern Massachusetts for thousands of years prior to European colonization of the America ...

. The sanatorium opened its doors in 1910 for the treatment of those with

tuberculosis Tuberculosis (TB), also known colloquially as the "white death", or historically as consumption, is a contagious disease usually caused by ''Mycobacterium tuberculosis'' (MTB) bacteria. Tuberculosis generally affects the lungs, but it can al ...

. In the 1950s, following a decline in the number of tuberculosis cases, the sanatorium began treating patients with other crippling conditions. In 1963, the Lakeville State Sanatorium was renamed the Lakeville Hospital. Pursuant to recommendation by the Special Commission for the study of the Consolidation of State Facilities, the hospital was closed in 1993. The hospital and surrounding area is secured to prevent unauthorized entry.

Ownership by National Development

In 2002, the 73-acre hospital site, valued at $5.1 million, was purchased at auction. The owner planned and acquired permits for a large-scale mixed-use development which would include a

Stop & Shop The Stop & Shop Supermarket Company, known as Stop & Shop, is an American regional chain of supermarkets located in the northeastern United States. From its beginnings in 1892 as a small grocery store, it has grown to include a 365-store chain ...

Target Target may refer to: Warfare and shooting * Shooting target, used in marksmanship training and various shooting sports ** Bullseye (target), the goal one for which one aims in many of these sports ** Aiming point, in field artille ...

Chili's Chili's Grill & Bar (stylized as chili's) is an American casual dining restaurant chain founded by Larry Lavine in Texas in 1975 and is currently owned and operated by Brinker International. History Chili's first location, a converted postal ...

Restaurant, 100-unit senior housing complex, and office park. The project was terminated when the development team experienced difficulties securing water and sewer service to the site. Lakeville currently receives $52,000 annually in real estate taxes from the unoccupied property.

Proposed ownership by Sysco

In 2010

Sysco Sysco is an American multinational corporation that sells, markets, and distributes food products to restaurants, healthcare and educational facilities, sports stadiums, and other venues that serve food. It also sells foodservice supplies and ...

, one of the largest food service companies in the country, publicly expressed interest in relocating their Norton-based

Massachusetts Massachusetts ( ; ), officially the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, is a U.S. state, state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It borders the Atlantic Ocean and the Gulf of Maine to its east, Connecticut and Rhode ...

distribution center to Lakeville. The site of the former Lakeville Hospital was identified as a possible location, despite the fact the site was zoned for mixed-use and not industrial purposes. A special town meeting was held on June 6, 2010 to approve or reject

tax increment financing Tax increment financing (TIF) is a public financing method that is used as a subsidy for redevelopment, infrastructure, and other community-improvement projects in many countries, including the United States. The original intent of a TIF program i ...

(TIF) for Sysco. Lakeville voters approved the TIF proposal 396 to 140, enabling the proposed development of a $110 million 650,000 square-foot food distribution center to move forward. The TIF gave Sysco a 13-year progressively smaller

tax break Tax break also known as tax preferences, tax concession, and tax relief, are a method of reduction to the tax liability of taxpayers. Government usually applies them to stimulate the economy and increase the solvency of the population. By this f ...

, totaling 43 percent of its potential real estate tax liability. It also allowed Sysco to receive state tax breaks. In exchange, Lakeville would collect significant taxes over that period, including annual payments of $130,000 in excise taxes and $1 million over the next two years for permits necessary to do the project. Following the town's approval of the TIF, the planning board drafted a proposal for an Industrial Overlay District at the request of Sysco and the encouragement of the town counsel. The Industrial Overlay District was intended preserve underlying zoning districts and eliminate the need for Sysco to apply for zoning variances that, if granted, could be appealed. Public hearings on the matter of rezoning the site from mixed-use to industrial were held on September 14, 2010 and September 21, 2010. The town planning board, following these meetings, approved bringing the zoning change before voters at a special town meeting. A special town meeting was held on October 18, 2010, in which Sysco's proposals were defeated.

References

{{authority control Defunct hospitals in Massachusetts Lakeville, Massachusetts 1910 establishments in Massachusetts 1993 disestablishments in Massachusetts Hospitals established in 1910