I just don’t know – on the basis of a couple of perfunctory “reports” – that this was a worse than usual facility for the residents. For instance, I’ve read that: City Hospital received the Northwest Arkansas Newspapers readers Best of the Best Nursing Home award for 2011. I don’t know what this truly reflects about conditions of living and care for residents. Perhaps the award was a political move. I do know that Arkansas doesn’t rank very high in health care and that there’s an official average for “deficiencies” in Arkansas nursing homes that is roughly the same as the figure quoted by WRMC for City Hospital, where it seems significant that only 2 of the 17 deficiencies had to do with care of patients, and these were corrected in 2011. This makes it seem unlikely that any other facility would be an improvement. One other point that might matter is that for a number of years, WRMC was in charge of this facility, even if indirectly, so if there were deficiencies, they were responsible.

RE “Are you saying the upmarket plans have been finalized and the theater plan is ‘old news’?”
No, I am saying that the plan to relocate the patients at the geriatric center is old news. I got the strong impression that leona had just stumbled across the article and thought it was going to happen next week.

RE “Are you saying that City Hospital, the Attic, and CEO were interfering with the public’s enjoyment of the library?”
I had inferred from leona’s remark that she believes that a library should not be entertaining.

RE “Did they have a choice? Were they moved as a community, friends with friends?”
The last time I visited the geriatric center (and similar facilities), most of the patients were well beyond consideration of community and friends. This was a warehouse of last resort.

RE ” I think you’re taking a purely political stand on an issue you know very little about…”
No, I’m taking a purely rational stand in an issue that a couple of people have suddenly become hysterical about. Again, I have not addressed the eventual use of the property at all– by the library or otherwise.

RE “Not you nor anyone else has answered the questions about background information and studies justifying this change.”
Did you not read the news article I linked to? Washington Regional gave background information and a summary of conditions that justify the change. I will defer to their professional judgement.

RE “Does FOIA apply here or not?”
Probably not. WRMS is a private entity.

“You realize this is an old story, don’t you?”
Are you saying the upmarket plans have been finalized and the theater plan is “old news”? When was it approved and by whom? You know the old saying in planning (aren’t you a realtor?) — regarding objections to bright ideas: it’s either too early to object or too late”

“I suppose you think that a library shouldn’t be enjoyed by the public.”
Are you saying that City Hospital, the Attic, and CEO were interfering with the public’s enjoyment of the library?

“moving them was as likely to improve their condition as to increase their stress.”
Did they have a choice? Were they moved as a community, friends with friends? what about their families — how do they feel about the change and their own stress? Above all, do you maintain that all nursing homes in Fayetteville provide adequate care and conditions while City Hospital was the sole failure? How can you be sure people are better off now? I think you’re taking a purely political stand on an issue you know very little about… except for the gentrification angle.

“really scrambling to make some people out to be miserable”
Not you nor anyone else has answered the questions about background information and studies justifying this change. It doesn’t matter if it’s old news. Apart from individuals’ circumstances, it’s a question of public policy and procedure. Does FOIA apply here or not?

RE “be excited by the replacement of city hospital with another entertainment venue.”
The library director has proposed to expand the library’s capacity for collections, meeting and presentation space and study facilities. Research and media-use enhancements to the library’s programs have been suggested. I suppose you think that a library shouldn’t be enjoyed by the public.

RE “medical professionals can attest that the frail elderly pay a high price for such major stressful disruptions”
If you read the news report, you will find that conditions at the City Hospital were not ideal for the residents, and moving them was as likely to improve their condition as to increase their stress.

RE “think we’d hear the breaking news story about a high mortality rate if that had happened?”
Since the City Hospital was full of unwell and elderly residents, so you’d rather expect a 100% mortality rate. It sounds like you’re really scrambling to make some people out to be miserable so you can make other people out to be sociopaths. That seems somehow a bit– well, not exactly sociopathic….