Is Montefiore backing out of Riverdale?

After more than a year of strong community opposition, Montefiore Medical Center appears to be taking steps to sell the Riverdale property where it had planned to build a large new facility.

A local realtor said he has shown the lots at 3733, 3735 and 3741 Riverdale Ave. along with 3644 Oxford Ave. to two prospective developers.

Vasco Da Silva of Exclusive Properties Sotheby’s International explained that Simone Development Companies, the group that planned to build a six-story facility for Montefiore, “made overtures” to him to sell the property.

Mr. Da Silva declined to state which developers have visited the location.

The realtor said while many development companies seek to turn a profit on their investments within a year of their purchases, Simone is yet to break ground on the lots Montefiore bought from Simone in 2013 for a reported $50 million. Simone had acquired the Riverdale Avenue lots from a retail space and the Oxford Avenue lot from a homeowner.

It was not immediately clear whether Simone was seeking to completely rid itself of the property or simply find an alternative project to Montefiore’s. It also was not clear how Montefiore might proceed with its plans for a new medical facility in the northwest Bronx, which the health care giant has previously described as “medically underserved.”

Simone, which has its main offices in the east Bronx, did not answer a request for comment for this article. The developer’s portfolio includes 100 commercial properties in the tri-state area, according to its website.

A Montefiore spokesman did not answer a request for confirmation of efforts to sell the Riverdale property. But Joseph Soldevere said in an e-mail that the health care provider will “continue to listen to input and guidance from Riverdale’s residents, elected officials and community board.”