The executive director of the Hospital de Hialeah, Luis Allende, broke the silence to explain why the institution's parking lot—closed nearly a year ago after being deemed unsafe—still stands, and for the first time presented a concrete plan for its demolition and replacement, according to an exclusive interview with Telemundo 51.
The structure was closed in September 2025, hours after a journalistic investigation documented deteriorated concrete, broken pipes, and dozens of temporary braces installed since 2022.
The owner of the property, Medical Properties Trust (MPT), had then promised that the garage would be demolished before December of that year, a promise that was not fulfilled.
Why is the garage still standing?
Allende, who has been managing the hospital since 2022, provided a technical explanation for the delay: the parking lot is physically connected to an adjacent medical building, which necessitates taking protective measures before initiating any demolition.
"That parking lot is connected to that building, so we need to prepare for when we carry out the demolition so that the building is not affected," he stated during a tour of the closed structure.
He assured that the dismantling will begin in the coming weeks and that the replacement project has already received municipal approval.
The role of the report in the conclusion
When journalist Myriam Masihy pointed out that the closure had accelerated due to media coverage, Allende confirmed it outright: "Correct."
The director added that there was a prior plan with the city, but that the investigation prompted the reaction
"It was going to close; there was a plan with the city because once HSA, Healthcare Systems of America took control of the hospital, we started to talk. Obviously, the report and everything accelerated that. And we had to react to it."
When asked if the deterioration caught his attention while parking there, he replied: "Since I started my role as executive director, that has been one of the first things we’ve tried to address."
The years of Steward and the bankruptcy
The background of the crisis dates back to the management of Steward Health Care, the chain that operated the hospital until declaring bankruptcy under Chapter 11 in May 2024, with a debt of approximately 9 billion dollars.
The temporary supports had been installed in 2022 by the construction company Peak CM, which a year later proposed an investment of 3 million dollars to Steward for permanent repairs that was never approved.
When asked about that period, Allende replied succinctly: "We were in the process of bankruptcies."
The new parking facility and the future plan
The replacement project includes a structure of six levels with 645 spaces, elevators, and new security systems, with an expected completion date of November 2027.
"In contrast to what was happening with Steward and the bankruptcy transition process, there is now a plan, there are now established permits, we now have coordination with the city, and the projects have begun and are in progress," emphasized Allende.
Meanwhile, patients and visitors must pay for parking in areas that were previously exclusive to employees. Regarding the promise of free parking during construction, Allende clarified that this benefit applies only to staff
"Free transportation and parking is for the employees; my employees, who are the real heroes, are parking at Hialeah Park Casino."
Improvements within the hospital
After the reports, many viewers expressed concern about the overall conditions of the center.
During the bankruptcy of Steward, the hospital operated with only one elevator for patient transport; today it has three operational ones.
The cafeteria was also renovated, and construction of a fast-track area within the emergency department resumed, a project that had been suspended during the transition.
"The most important change for me is our emergency room: construction had begun under Steward's direction, but everything stopped with the bankruptcy process; now I can say that it has started again and we are going to have a new Fast Track," concluded the executive.
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