NICK GOSNELL
Hutch Post
HUTCHINSON, Kan. — Clint Nelson with Interfaith Housing talked to the Board of County Commissioners on Wednesday about the new plan for the St. Elizabeth's Hospital property at 500 West 20th and abating asbestos there.
"The quickest means to a solution at this site is to pursue a local abatement contractor," Nelson said. "They've given us a very attractive quote. We are actively in conversation with KDHE's State Air Quality Manager. He's already reviewed our plan of action. All of the required state reviews and clearances on the building will be included in our work. At that point, we would be free to remove that entire structure for redevelopment."
Interfaith received approval from Reno County to utilize a total of $115,000 in SLFRF/ARPA funding to fulfill the first phase of a master redevelopment plan. The city will contribute $65,000. The abatement quote from FreshCo is for $170,000.
"Our only request from ARPA will be for the abatement," Nelson said. "We're looking at other local funding opportunities for the demolition. We've got recent quotes on the full demolition and import of dirt and getting that site build ready. That's going to be right around $320,000 for the removal of the structure. We're not planning to come back and ask for more of the ARPA funding for that use."
The St. Elizabeth's site would have significant housing development, if all the funding can be secured.
"Fourteen family units, three bedroom, two and a half bath, it would likely be an HOA type situation," Nelson said. "We're also actively pursuing the land and the former nun's quarters north of the hospital. There's another blighted building on that block that also needs to be removed. We're working on trying to get under a purchase option for those, as well."
Commissioner Randy Parks asked Nelson if he thought there would be the same sort of asbestos concerns at the nun's quarters.
"I haven't been in, I think everybody knows it as the Mirror building," Nelson said. "I haven't been in that structure, I'm assuming it would be, especially if the copper thieves got in there. That's when our situation went from manageable to extreme was when, three years ago, individuals got in and shredded all of the asbestos insulation, basically creating airborne asbestos throughout the building."
The county's allocation passed unanimously.
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