WILLEMSTAD - The buildings on the Sehos site will get a new purpose. After the opening of the new hospital there will be a care hotel, apartments and restaurants, the so-called Sint Elisabeth District.

Around 50 to 60 million guilders are needed to realize the plans. The Sehos foundation expects to be able to raise part of that money during the investment mission from the Netherlands, which takes place in October. The project must be completed in five years, which means in 2025.

The future plans of land and buildings is laid down in a vision document prepared by the local planning and architecture firm ProGaya. Current CEO of the hospital, Anton Casperson says that in December last year, the Supervisory Board and the Diocese gave their approval of the future vision. The wish is that the historic, Catholic character is preserved.”

The fact that the property will be restored as a hospital after the operation ceases and will be given a new function is important to prevent the neighboring Curaçao Medical Center from running a risk due to the decline and vacancy of the buildings.

The Dutch appraisal agency Van Ameyde Ratings has determined the market value of the land and property in June 2019 at 7,250,000 guilders.

The original hospital dates from 1857. According to Casperson, it is of good technical quality, just like the Sint Thomascollege. Both have historically valuable features such as a colonnade and stained-glass windows. In the meantime, it has been investigated which parts have monumental value and work is being done on the application for the status of monument.