By James DeWeese
Frank Molnar, owner of the Forest Hills-based 58th Avenue Management, purchased the one-time nunnery at 86-18 58th Avenue in December with the intention of converting it into residential apartment units. But he said the company is now planning to market the site for use as a dormitory facility, possibly for non-profits or another type of agency.”The structure was built for a certain purpose and it was built really well,” Molnar said. “It would be a shame to really destroy it and restore it.”The 6,415-square-foot convent, which was occupied by just a handful of nuns until August, boasts a large kitchen, two institutional bathrooms, a laundry facility and 15 separate office or bedroom spaces, according to real estate firm Massy Knakal. aint Vincent Catholic Medical Center sold the former convent, which Molnar said was built in the 1960s, to 58th Avenue Management for $645,000 in December 2004. Massy Knakal, which has a longstanding relationship with Saint Vincent, brokered the deal as part of the hospital corporation's ongoing financial restructuring program, said partner Thomas Donovan. aint Vincent recently shuddered its under-performing St. Joseph's Hospital in Flushing. And new management has been working in recent months to streamline costs and boost efficiency at its other hospitals, such as St. John's Hospital in Elmhurst.Molnar said the convent was solidly constructed but had a rather austere design with few architectural innovations. Nevertheless, he said its expansive interior makes it an excellent spot for almost any agency with a need for dormitory space.”The property poses a prime opportunity for a user, institution, foundation or a conversion to a three-story residential property,” said Massy Knakal founding partner Paul Massey, who brokered the deal along with Donovan.Reach reporter James DeWeese by e-mail at news@timesledger.com or by phone at 718-229-0300, Ext. 157.
