Would you want your grandma living in an abandoned hospital so well known for its creepy atmosphere and alleged hauntings that it has been used in various Hollywood productions by folks like Rob Zombie and the makers of the horror film "Se7en"?
The L.A. Times says the 107-year-old Linda Vista Community Hospital may soon earn a new reputation once a proposed $40 million conversion is complete, transforming the abandoned building into a senior living home.
"People tell me it's the most haunted place in L.A.," said Maurice Ramirez, executive vice president of Amcal Multi-Housing Inc., the affordable housing group heading the hospital's conversion. "Because it's been empty for maybe 25 years or so, it becomes the subject of a little urban folklore about ghosts and things."
The hospital's caretaker Francis Kortekaas says he has experienced a few unusual moments over the years since Linda Vista closed shop in 1991, including when a sink seemed to turn itself on and off in front of his eyes, and when he felt a child's hand reach out for his own, even though he was alone at the time.
"It felt like my daughter's hand," he told the paper.
Kortekaas has made some unusual changes to the site, including adding a fake prison cell, to make it more accommodating to potential filmmakers. Over the years, the property has been used by several entertainment productions, including the musicians Duran Duran, and as a set for the TV shows "True Blood" and "ER."
Kortekaas says filming takes place at the hospital for nearly 130 days a year.
Perhaps most terrifying of all, the hospital has also been home to shooting locations for the critically panned films "Pearl Harbor" and the 2005 Adam Sandler remake of "The Longest Yard."
But that dark legacy will have a shot at redemption once the extensive renovations are complete.
"It's going to look like an upscale hotel," Ramirez said. "People in the neighborhood will really see a transformation."
The L.A. Times says the 107-year-old Linda Vista Community Hospital may soon earn a new reputation once a proposed $40 million conversion is complete, transforming the abandoned building into a senior living home.
"People tell me it's the most haunted place in L.A.," said Maurice Ramirez, executive vice president of Amcal Multi-Housing Inc., the affordable housing group heading the hospital's conversion. "Because it's been empty for maybe 25 years or so, it becomes the subject of a little urban folklore about ghosts and things."
The hospital's caretaker Francis Kortekaas says he has experienced a few unusual moments over the years since Linda Vista closed shop in 1991, including when a sink seemed to turn itself on and off in front of his eyes, and when he felt a child's hand reach out for his own, even though he was alone at the time.
"It felt like my daughter's hand," he told the paper.
Kortekaas has made some unusual changes to the site, including adding a fake prison cell, to make it more accommodating to potential filmmakers. Over the years, the property has been used by several entertainment productions, including the musicians Duran Duran, and as a set for the TV shows "True Blood" and "ER."
Kortekaas says filming takes place at the hospital for nearly 130 days a year.
Perhaps most terrifying of all, the hospital has also been home to shooting locations for the critically panned films "Pearl Harbor" and the 2005 Adam Sandler remake of "The Longest Yard."
But that dark legacy will have a shot at redemption once the extensive renovations are complete.
"It's going to look like an upscale hotel," Ramirez said. "People in the neighborhood will really see a transformation."
I received a letter in the mail the other day to confirm it. True story!
