The hospital that has anchored downtown Easton for generations is about to change hands. Bluepoint Living, the real estate arm of businessman Paul Prager, has agreed to buy the current University of Maryland Shore Regional Health site on Washington Street, with the deal contingent on the hospital's planned move to a new medical center still under construction.
According to stardem.com, the buyer is Bluepoint Living, and the agreement covers what that outlet describes as the 14.84-acre hospital site — though a separate stardem.com report on community feedback about the property put the figure at 13.49 acres, a discrepancy that remains unresolved. The purchase is contingent on relocating hospital operations to the new regional medical center currently under construction on Longwoods Road, as reported by wboc.com. That move is expected to happen in 2028, per the same report, and the replacement facility is planned as a 385,000-square-foot building, according to myeasternshoremd.com.
A Familiar Buyer for a Landmark Property
Bluepoint Living is owned by Paul Prager, who also owns Bluepoint Hospitality, the same station notes. CBRE ran the sale process, and stardem.com reports the brokerage conducted a comprehensive and competitive process before landing on Bluepoint. A potential sale price has not yet been made public, per the wboc.com report, and Bluepoint's detailed redevelopment plans have not been disclosed either.
In a statement carried by the station, Prager said the acquisition builds on Bluepoint's longer-term investment in Easton and reflects its continued commitment to preserving the character and culture of the community. It is the latest in a string of local purchases for Bluepoint, which the report notes recently bought a former grocery store site in town for $2.7 million.
What Residents Want to See There
With the hospital's eventual departure looming, Easton residents have been busy floating ideas for what should take its place. The stardem.com report on community opinions notes that suggestions have included housing, open space, a veterans clinic and other public uses, and more than 50 residents turned out for a forum on the subject. Two proposals stood out: architect Peter Katz pitched a series of modern, mixed-use neighborhoods, while arts advocate Rebecca Hoffberger proposed a park featuring an art installation about Easton's history and the hospital site itself.
Town consultants have already sketched conceptual plans including around 130 to 180 housing units, the outlet reports. Separately, wboc.com notes that residents and town leaders have weighed ideas ranging from housing and mixed-use development to expanded medical services. Easton Mayor Megan Cook has floated her own mix, telling myeasternshoremd.com she could imagine maybe a little bit of open space, maybe some senior housing, maybe there's some kind of health component. That outlet also reports the town hopes to engage in a public planning process, such as a small area plan or charrette, once the hospital is vacated. Any eventual site plan would still need to meet the design standards and required improvements set out in Easton's town ordinance, its Comprehensive Plan and its Subdivision Regulations, according to the Town of Easton.
Prager's Growing Footprint Downtown
The hospital deal lands as Bluepoint Hospitality's restaurant empire keeps expanding across Easton, a trend the Daily Record has been tracking. Prager founded Bluepoint Hospitality in 2013, and by January 2021 he had already opened seven eateries and owned roughly half of Easton's downtown, according to Washingtonian. That magazine's profile detailed Bas Rouge's $100 tasting menus and $37 veal schnitzel as emblematic of the high-end dining Prager brought to the small Eastern Shore town.
That growth has not slowed. Bluepoint Hospitality has continued adding concepts, including Sunflowers & Greens, Roma Alla Pala and Bonheur, and it refurbished the Washington Street Pub. The company opened The Flour Shop last month and plans a retail wine shop later this fall. Bas Rouge remains helmed by chef Harley Peet, who won the 2024 James Beard Award for Best Chef: Mid-Atlantic before becoming Bluepoint Hospitality's executive chef this year.
A Mixed but Warming Reception
Not every Easton resident has embraced Prager's expanding reach, and the company has faced local ire and concerns about socioeconomic inequality. A minority of residents remain concerned that one person's investment could ultimately harm the town, a tension that flared in 2020 when a Discover Easton representative alleged Prager had threatened to cease investments and close his Easton businesses if a downtown promenade plan proceeded. Prager denied that allegation and said he opposed the promenade plan because of poor planning and possible traffic disruptions.
Still, Mayor Megan Cook has said residents have largely been positive about Bluepoint's growth, and Ward 1 Councilmember Maureen Curry has expressed enthusiasm for the hospital-property purchase specifically. Len Foxwell has said Prager has become one of his biggest fans, and Prager's supporters point to good-paying jobs, sizable contributions to Easton Little League, and a six-figure annual initiative providing financial gifts directly to every first responder in Talbot County as evidence of his investment paying off for the town of roughly 17,000 residents. The Prager family are also major supporters of the YMCA of the Chesapeake.
Bluepoint's restaurant operations have also drawn an uptick in tourists and travelers from New York City and Washington, D.C. The company has faced early skepticism, alongside support from some in the community. Stephen Loffredo has described Bluepoint's growth as organic. Its lineup includes flagship Bas Rouge and the more casual Sunflowers & Greens. For now, Bluepoint Hospitality says it will continue to evaluate property and business opportunities in Easton selectively, even as Prager separately eyes mixed-use development at Easton Point's Port Street waterfront property.
