A new owner of the former Brunswick Community Hospital property said Wednesday that potential users have already expressed interest in the 32-acre site off U.S. 17.  
 
That interest includes the realms of convalescent care and drug treatment, said Bobby Lewis of Centre Development Company II LLC, who along with Dale Elmore purchased the property for $750,000 in a deal that closed this week.
 
The sale, described as “a long time coming” by county commissioner Frank Williams, is also a win for Brunswick County, which has owned the site since 2011, according to a county announcement Wednesday. That’s when Novant Health opened Novant Health Brunswick Medical Center at 240 Hospital Drive in Boliva, also off U.S. 17. The old 82,000-square-foot hospital is located at 1 Medical Center Drive in Supply.
 
“During my tenure as commissioner, we have pushed forward on deciding the outcome of the Brunswick County Hospital,” said Pat Sykes, vice chairwoman of the Brunswick County Board of Commissioners, in a news release. “I am very pleased with the sale of this property. Our staff has worked extremely hard to make this happen. I hope that the property will be developed into another business to provide jobs in Brunswick County. We look forward to working with the new owner.”
 
The sale had been in the works since September 2013, with the new owners' option to buy the property set to expire at the end of June. Lewis said county officials were patient with Centre Development Co. during the process.
 
“They gave us time to do our due diligence and see what kind of interest might be out there. And there’s quite a bit of interest; convalescent care, drug treatment care and even the Wounded Warrior Project have all expressed interest. This property lends itself to those uses, since it is spread out on one floor and doesn’t have stairs or multiple levels for residents to navigate,” Lewis said in the release.
 
He said Brunswick County is the perfect spot for a new convalescent care facility because of its “large number of older retirees flocking to the coastal areas who will need convalescent care in the future. The central location will also provide access to all of Brunswick County, and make it easier both for Brunswick County residents and for those flying in to the Myrtle Beach or Wilmington airports to visit their loved ones. We’re excited to take on this project and we look forward to finalizing it.”
 
Proceeds from the sale will go into the county’s general fund, county attorney Huey Marshall has said.