PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — The Upper Darby School District is looking to expand its real estate portfolio.
The former Delaware County Memorial Hospital building, which has been vacant since November 2022, has caught the eye of school district officials. The facility sits next to Upper Darby High School.
Superintendent Dan McGarry said the district is in the early talks to purchase the building from Prospect Medical Holdings, a beleaguered company that recently filed bankruptcy.
“We have old and outdated facilities,” he said. “We’re always looking to try to procure or find land or any kind of property to expand our school district”.
The Upper Darby School District is one of the largest in Pennsylvania and acquiring space has been difficult. The land-strapped district has historically had to lease buildings, something they’re working to move away from, McGarry said.
“We have had some conversations about the hospital on Lansdowne Avenue but I want to be clear—there are no final deals in place at all,” he said.
The high school, which enrolls more than 4,000 students, sits parallel to the hospital property. While district officials are interested in expanding space for high school students, McGarry said their main focus is younger students.
“If we were able to procure any kind of property, one of our first priorities is an elementary school,” said McGarry. “We’re in need of an elementary school space”
Court filings show the district wants to purchase the property for $2 million.