Polk County sells Rohr Home in Bartow to local nonprofit nursing home provider

Ending a nearly two-year debate, the Polk County Commission unanimously approved an agreement Tuesday with a buyer of the Rohr Home in Bartow for $5 million in a move to privatize the county’s nursing home facility.

The agreement lists Millennial Property Investments Corp. of Bartow, Blue Falcon Operations and the county as parties involved in the transaction.

Privatizing the facility had been opposed by Commissioner Rick Wilson last year during debate over what to do with the county-owned-and-operated 60-bed nursing home at 2120 Marshall Edwards Drive.

During COVID, the home lost staff and had to be subsidized by the county.

At Tuesday’s meeting, Wilson expressed a change of heart because the facility’s buyer and new operator has local ties, experience in the long-term care industry and understands the importance of the facility to the community.

“I’ve got a lot of people that went through there. People that I went to school with and know that are there now,” Wilson said.

Turning to the new buyers Wilson said, “The only thing I ask is to keep rolling with what we are doing there and help people in this community.”

The county had solicited bids from licensed nursing home operators in late 2022, County Manager Bill Beasley said while introducing the item for a vote. The not-for-profit Millennial Property Investments then submitted a letter of intent to buy the building and the facility’s operations in March.

The prior bids were set aside after Millennial was determined to have experience and knowledge of the nursing home industry in Central Florida, Beasley said. Daniel Jones with the new ownership has been a licensed nursing home administrator since 2011.

Jones is also a Bartow native and Bartow High School graduate with knowledge of the local physicians' network and the staffing at Rohr Home.

Blue Falcon, which is also a nonprofit, lists Jones as its president with vice presidents Brian M. Kuell of Winter Haven and Brian T. McCoy of Dover, state records show.

Jones and his partners have experience operating other facilities in Polk, Orange, Brevard, Hillsborough and Osceola counties, Beasley said.

“We don’t want to change anything at the Rohr Home. We want to keep everything the same as a service to the community,” Jones told the commission.

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He said the new ownership wants to meet with employees, go over wages and benefits, hire more and grow the business.

Under the terms of the purchase agreement, Millennial will have 60 days from Tuesday’s vote by the commission to inspect the facility. The closing would happen 30 days later or within 10 days of receipt of group’s license from the Florida Agency for Health Care Administration to take over control of the facility.

The $5 million will be placed into the county’s general fund.

A previous Ledger report said the property went up for sale in July 2022. Wilson had been the lone vote against putting the Rohr Home up for sale.

The 24,600-square-foot nursing home was only 50% occupied in July 2022 and had 38 employees, the report said. It does not have a commercial kitchen. Polk County has operated it since 2003.

This article originally appeared on The Ledger: Rohr Home's county ownership ends as it's sold to local nonprofit