By rssfeeds-admin Pastor Melvin Brown, of Kingdom Authority Church, 815 N Church Street, and his wife, Shiela Brown, were revealed as the new owners of the hospital by their daughter, Marissa.
“So proud to share some amazing news,” Marissa Brown wrote on Facebook. “A big congratulations to my incredible parents, who are now the proud new owners of the hospital. Their vision goes beyond ownership — they have exciting plans to invest in and uplift our community in a big way. Stay tuned… more updates coming soon!”
Mercyhealth closed the Rockton Avenue campus in July, saying preliminary ideas for the facility included social services agencies or a nursing home.
On August 26th, Rockford Mayor Tom McNamara, in a sudden announcement, released a statement urging the Mercyhealth Board of Directors not to “rubber-stamp” a plan for the purchase of the property without proper vetting of the buyer.
McNamara did not name the potential buyer, but warned, “Dumping the property to an individual/organization without the resources, plan or capacity to follow through would almost certainly leave the building vacant, creating another source of blight on the west side.”
Mercyhealth CEO Javon Bea released a statement the following day, accusing the city of racial bias.
“Now, when a black entrepreneur has stepped forward to invest in this property, the mayor has chosen not to support the effort but instead to undermine it. This is more than just shortsighted — it reflects a racially biased double standard,” Bea said.
McNamara denied knowing who the potential buyer was.
Mercyhealth issued a statement on September 3 that stated:
Mercyhealth is pleased to announce that Pastor Melvin Brown and his wife, Sheila Brown, have signed a purchase agreement and are now closing on the former hospital facility on the Rockton Avenue Campus. The Browns have spent more than 30 years ministering and providing social support for members of the Rockford community. Their dedication to serving others, coupled with their vision for the building, will have a positive impact on the community.
Mercyhealth will continue to have over 500 employees in our physician clinic at the Rockton Campus. This building will house a number of clinical and administrative services. Additionally, we will maintain our REACT hangar and EMS training center on a long-term basis.
In 2016, the City of Rockford was found liable in a lawsuit brought by the Kingdom Authority Church, after Mark Anthony Barmore was shot and killed in the basement in 2009. Barmore fled from police in a domestic violence incident and ran into the House of Grace Daycare. The Illinois State’s Attorney’s Office ruled that the shooting was justified.
The Brown family sued the city for $4 million in damages in a civil suit, on behalf of the Browns, the children, and the staff of the daycare.
A Winnebago County Jury awarded several individuals under one count of reckless conduct, on behalf of the police officers involved, with a sum of $350,000.
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