Health care executive Kiran Patel has bought the former Clearwater Christian College property with plans to develop an osteopathic medical school on the 25-acre campus overlooking Old Tampa Bay, the Tampa Bay Times reported.
Patel, chairman of Tampa-based Freedom Health, confirmed that he closed on the $12 million purchase on Thursday.
He plans to develop the Dr. Kiran C. Patel College of Osteopathic Medicine, catering to both domestic and international students, especially from India and Africa, who otherwise could not afford medical training, the Times reported.
Patel said he plans to open the school for 150 students by September 2018 or early 2019 after the credentialing and certification process.
The private Clearwater Christian College, founded in 1966, closed last year amid dwindling enrollment, increased debt and a lack of endowments.
In July, the city of Clearwater purchased the 111 acres of wetlands and submerged lands surrounding the campus for preservation and restoration projects, the Times reported.
