Pending regulatory approval, MSKCC says it intends to renovate and convert the Gramercy Park-area property to an outpatient cancer center. The facility served as a 455-bed hospital until it closed in March 2008 due to financial woes. A state health care commission in 2006 recommended the closing of Cabrini and four other New York City hospitals.

"Cabrini spent the last 100 years fulfilling its mission at this location, so it's very meaningful that the property will continue to be utilized as a medical facility," says Vincent Carrega, executive managing director of Grubb's capital markets group, in a release. "It's also exciting to know that this transaction provides an additional location for MSKCC to further its tremendously important work."

The complex extends half a city block and is comprised of four buildings totaling nearly 400,000 square feet of above-grade area, plus approximately 54,000 square feet of below-grade space. Largest of the buildings is a 17-story purpose built hospital, encompassing nearly 300,000 square feet of gross building area. The remaining three adjacent buildings are situated on separate lots.

Carrega and Neil Helman, senior managing director at Grubb, handled the disposition, with participation from Frank Mancini, regional director of special asset services, and David Arena, chairman of the firm's tri-state region. Legal representation for Cabrini was provided by its bankruptcy counsel, Frank Oswald of Togut, Segal & Segal LLP, and its special real estate and healthcare counsel, Burton Weston of Garfunkle Wild. MSKCC's real estate consultant in the sale was Mark Weiss at Newmark Knight Frank, while legal counsel came from Allan Weider at Paul, Weiss, Rifkind and Wharton.

When Caritas Healthcare auctioned off its hospital campuses in Queens for $26.25 million last October, Larry Weiss, VP of brokerage services at CB Richard Ellis, told GlobeSt.com there might be a few more such sales by financially besieged healthcare operators. "I would say it's a very small number, but a small number makes a trend," Weiss said at the time. "There would potentially be a few in the outer boroughs, a couple on Long Island and maybe one or two in Manhattan."

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Paul Bubny

Paul Bubny is managing editor of Real Estate Forum and GlobeSt.com. He has been reporting on business since 1988 and on commercial real estate since 2007. He is based at ALM Real Estate Media Group's offices in New York City.