22 years later… Heartland Project Disgraces Pilgrim Psychiatric Center

Many atrocities have followed the failed development of the Heartland Town Square Project which was proposed for 452 acres of former Pilgrim Psychiatric Center property.

Following the Newsday story published on May 1, 2002, entitled “Dead, Buried, and Sold”, the situation has only gotten worse…

In 2003, twenty-two former hospital buildings were demolished on the property bought and owned by Jerry Wolkoff, clearing land for his Heartland Town Square Project. Following the 2003 demolitions and the later demolitions from 2011 and 2012, the piles of rubble were left to lie on their original foundations in the shape of the former buildings, leaving the grounds which surround the current hospital property in shambles. Sadly, this is where the rubble remains today… in the same piles, 22 years later…

This neglect of the property has encouraged illegal dumping, emergence of environmental hazards, and possible insurance fraud (related to the dumping of cars, boats, and other vehicles on the property).

A car lies discarded on top of old building remains.

The patients and staff of the Pilgrim Psychiatric Center are negatively affected by the surrounding garbage pile, as it takes away from the therapeutic and safe environment staff try to create as a facility. The grounds are unsafe, as many unidentified individuals and vehicles trespass on the campus to take part in illegal dumping, complete drug deals, and interact negatively with the clients.

While the state of the property is a disgrace, the superior concern is the former hospital cemetery that is located on the campus. When the property was purchased by Jerry Wolkoff, the developer had the obligation to preserve the historic cemetery on the grounds which is owned by now David Wolkoff. This cemetery is neglected, with 8,000+ deceased Pilgrim patients becoming increasingly forgotten as their headstone markers are overtaken by nature and the plot locations become unclear.

There is no memorial, or bench, or a single bouquet of flowers in the barren cemetery...

Although the grass is mowed by Pilgrim Psychiatric Center, many of the headstones have sunken into the ground and can only be recovered by removing layers of dirt and foliage. In addition, there are no signs on the site indicating the presence of a cemetery, further erasing these individuals from thought. There is no memorial, or bench, or a single bouquet of flowers recognizing the many past lives that lay in the ground...

One of the lucky few who have their cemetery marker visible at Pilgrim's cemetery (Photo taken 2020).

The town and the developer are silent, as they have been reached out to for information several times and have been offered suggestions. The Wolkoff property needs to be cleaned, the old building rubble needs to be disposed of, and the cemetery needs to be revitalized.

Garbage fills the Wolkoff Property just a few steps from where patients receive care. Anyone who drives through the grounds can get the full scope of just how bad the campus has gotten. Aerials also demonstrate the deterioration of the campus over time with the remaining building rubble, accumulating garbage, and overwhelming foliage.

Aerial from 2001 (before the demolition)

Aerial from 2004 (after the first round of demolition) where the piles of building rubble can be seen before the foliage takes over.

Aerial from 2022 (which reflects the campus today after all demolition phases).

This disgrace has negatively affected the Pilgrim Psychiatric Center, which is a victim to the developer’s neglect. The clients deserve to live on clean, healthy, and beautiful grounds and the deceased patients also deserve the dignity and respect, which has been stripped away from them.