Sources inform ''Globes'' that Arcadi Gaydamak signed a contract to buy Jerusalem’s Bikur Holim hospital, after reportedly improving his original $32 million bid. He has asked the hospital’s liquidator, Adv. Shlomo Shahar, for three days to prepare the documents.
Assessors had valued Bikur Holim’s four buildings at $35 million and the stores in the compound at an additional $2 million. Since Gaydamak’s bid includes the stores, it is presumably at least $5 million more than his original bid, or $3 million if he foregoes the stores.
Shahar told the Knesset Finance Committee that negotiations with Gaydamak would be successfully completed within the deadline set by Jerusalem District Court Judge Jospeph Shapira. Last week, the judge warned that he would not hesitate to cancel the sale if no bids were made that were higher than the assessment for the property.
Sources at Bikur Holim believe that Gaydamak also wants to buy more land in downtown Jerusalem, which has also been targeted by Africa-Israel Housing Ltd. (TASE:AFHS), controlled by Lev Leviev. Africa-Israel Housing lost the tender for the hospital because it asked for the removal of the dedications on the buildings.
Sources believe that Gaydamak is signaling Leviev that Bikur Holim is only the first stage of activity in the capital.
Published by Globes [online], Israel business news - www.globes.co.il - on July 15, 2007
© Copyright of Globes Publisher Itonut (1983) Ltd. 2007