Developer Proposes Golf Course for State Hospital Campus

Mike Sullivan, Medfield town administrator, tells GlobeSt.com that while the state hospital is due to close this May, the town has been preparing for its closure for nearly five years, hoping to avoid the standard drawn-out process that seems to accompany most state hospital closings. Sullivan points out that the town is interested in developing some housing on the site but there is concern that the town's already overburdened school system can not accommodate too many units.

Part of the hospital campus is in Dover and that parcel--approximately 30 acres--is being purchased by that town. Another 37 acres will be used by Medfield's recreation department. A golf course would take up about 150 acres and does generate some tax revenue but Sullivan notes that an office development would likely generate even more, a priority in this largely residential town.

But Sullivan acknowledges that the property's location, far from both public transportation and highway access, makes it less than ideal for commercial use. He says that the town has considered the site suitable for research and development use or even a satellite location for a college.

The request for proposal for development of the property will be issued by the state in consultation with the town. "The state says it wants to move faster on this one," says Sullivan.