Philly nonprofit named conservator of infamous Gosnell abortion clinic

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It was dubbed a “House of Horrors” and made national news for the heinous crimes committed on pregnant women and fetuses inside.

Now the vacant property once home to Dr. Kermit Gosnell’s infamous abortion clinic is poised for new life following a protracted legal battle in the Court of Common Pleas.

A Philadelphia judge on Friday named the nonprofit reBuilding Blocks conservator of the home at 3801-05 Lancaster Ave. in West Philadelphia. The ruling gives the organization control of the abandoned and blighted property. Gosnell, who owns the building, is serving a life sentence in state prison.

The decision means the property, which consists of five buildings stitched together, may be sold and put into productive use.

“[The building] really does create a psychic blight to those who sort of remember what happened, and has sat there as a reminder of Philadelphia’s criminal history. And it’s time for something positive to come out of it,” said Beth Grossman, managing director of reBuilding Blocks after Friday’s hearing.

The ruling is the result of a petition filed in 2023 under a Pennsylvania law commonly known as Act 135. The measure provides a mechanism for neighbors, nonprofit organizations and municipalities to revitalize abandoned and blighted buildings in their communities.

Grossman’s group now has the legal right to remedy a long list of code violations at the property, which has sat vacant for well over a decade. The building needs new roofing, windows and entry doors, among other repairs. The nonprofit will also pay for the interior to be cleaned out.

Altogether, the renovations could cost upwards of $100,000, according to a preliminary cost estimate submitted by reBuilding Blocks.

The organization can then petition a judge to sell the building, which sits along Powelton Village’s main commercial corridor.

But, before any of that can happen, a longtime squatter must be removed from the building, said Grossman. That may require help from the Philadelphia Sheriff’s Office if the squatter does not leave voluntarily after he is given legal notice to vacate.

Who is Gosnell?

Gosnell is behind bars for committing a slew of crimes inside the former abortion clinic, where unlicensed and unqualified employees prepped patients in “filthy” and “deplorable” conditions.

In 2013, a jury found Gosnell guilty of first-degree murder for killing three babies inside the clinic. Prosecutors said the former doctor delivered them alive, then severed their spines with scissors.

The panel also found Gosnell guilty of involuntary manslaughter in connection to the drug overdose death of a patient who underwent an abortion at the clinic.

The woman, Karnamaya Mongar, had an “extremely high” level of Demerol, a synthetic opioid medication, in her system, according to the grand jury report. Gosnell, who was spared the death penalty, used the prescription painkiller to anesthetize his patients.

Later the same year, the doctor pleaded guilty to running a pill mill at the out of the same clinic.

When federal investigators raided the clinic in 2010, they found blood on the floor, the stench of urine in the air and cat feces on the stairs, according to the grand jury report. Sedated women scheduled for abortions moaned as they sat “on dirty recliners covered with blood-stained blankets.”

They also discovered fetal remains throughout the clinic, including in the refrigerator and freezer.

Appearing virtually from State Correctional Institution – Smithfield, where he is serving his sentence, Gosnell told Judge Ann Butchart that he accepted the outcome, though he said he objected to his son not being involved in the remediation of the property.

“I will accept the determination of the court,” said Gosnell, 84.

His son, David Evans, appointed power of attorney for his father, did not object to reBuilding Blocks becoming conservator, clearing the way for Butchart’s ruling.

He declined to comment on Friday’s ruling.

Neighbors, community members applaud court decision

For now, it’s unclear what will happen to the building once it is cleared of all code violations.

Years ago, anti-abortion groups expressed interest in turning the former clinic into a crisis pregnancy center or housing for pregnant mothers.

Nearby neighbors said they would like to see the building used for a mixed-use development featuring commercial space on the first floor and affordable rental units above.

“It’s been a long time coming for something hopefully positive to happen with this property. It’s been a blight on the community, that gateway block, for quite some time, so many of us are anxious to see some improvements to the property and it being put into good use,” said Debra McCarty, board member of the Mantua Powelton Alliance.

The group is seeking legal status so it has agency to decide on the property’s future. And reBuilding Blocks has committed to working with the community as it prepares the building for new ownership.

If the property is sold, the proceeds will primarily go towards paying back the city. The building has more than $100,000 in liens tied back real estate taxes and other municipal debts.

Under Act 135, reBuilding Block is also entitled to some of the sale proceeds — up to 20% of the price. The measure enables the conservator to recoup all legal fees and repair costs.