Crouse Health will be expanding its clinical and community services to the northern suburbs thanks to the generosity of a former patient. Entrepreneur and philanthropist Bill Pomeroy is donating the former headquarters of his company CXtec to Crouse after first trying to sell it to them. The building on South Bay Road is assessed at just over $5 million.
"I had mentioned to [Crouse President and CEO] Seth [Kronenberg] a couple of times, 'you know, I think that this building will be a pretty neat health care facility. Do you know anybody in the industry who might be interested in it,' thinking that maybe he'll buy it. Well, he didn't take the bait."
Pomeroy says he tried to convince Kronenberg a few more times before circumstances led him to take a different approach. Crouse had backed out of a proposed merger with SUNY Upstate, and Pomeroy’s wife Sandra had passed away after a battle with Alzheimer’s disease.
"One day, I think it was early last summer, the idea occurred to me...why try to sell it? Why not just give it to Crouse?" Pomeroy said. "And I said, Seth, I think I could get talked into donating the building to Crouse. And he took the bait."
Kronenberg says their plans to expand services in the northern suburbs would have been fragmented at different sites without the 66,000 square foot building.
"This is a transformational gift for Crouse Health," Kronenberg said. "It's in an area of Central New York where the population is expanding. To be able to improve access to care for people in the northern suburbs as well as community education really fits right in with our mission. Had it not been for this generous donation, we wouldn't be able to have that all in a facility as beautiful as the one we're moving into."
Many Central New Yorkers might also have fond memories of the building decades ago when it was Switz’s Craft store. Pomeroy turned it into his company’s headquarters in 1997 until moving downtown earlier this year. Crouse expects to move into the building in early 2024. It will be named the Pomeroy Community and Wellness Center at Crouse Health.
Pomeroy received treatment for leukemia at Crouse about 20 years ago, and his late wife Sandra served as his caretaker. She volunteered for many years on the Crouse Health Foundation Board.
Pomeroy then served as her caretaker when she was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease. She died in March. Pomeroy says his donation on what happens to be their wedding anniversary is an ideal way to honor her memory and their affection for Crouse.
