In a split decision, Allen County commissioners decided Tuesday to negotiate only with G&W Foods for development of the old county hospital site, Madison and First streets. AS AN ALTERNATIVE, Talkington asked about 4 acres the county purchased — for which it paid $12,000 an acre — as part of the site for the new Allen County Regional Hospital be surveyed so commissioners could arrive at a price if Briggs were interested. That piece of ground was mentioned by Briggs when he withdrew from pursuit of the old hospital on May 14, as well as “some others we’re looking at,” none of which he identified.
That occurred, with Commissioner Jim Talkington in opposition because of what he called fiscal concerns, after commissioners were asked to permit Arlyn Briggs until July 7 to present a detailed plan of how he would convert the old hospital into a health care facility for Alzheimer’s and other patients.
Chairman Tom Williams proposed to “move forward with salvage and demolition and deal exclusively with G&W Foods.”
“The property is ours and we have no stake other than an obligation to do what is best for Allen County,” Williams said. Commissioner Jerry Daniels concurred.
Talkington mentioned that cost of demolition was unknown, and wondered where the county stood if putting the land in developmental condition cost as much as “$300,000 or $400,000 or half a million. We don’t have the information we need,” in reference to salvage income and demolition costs, he said.
A concern is prolonging the timeline on making the property available for development — also possibly for apartments — could wear on G&W and dull its enthusiasm for a grocery in Iola, Daniels told the Register.
“We gave Briggs six months (with a June 1 deadline) to come up with a plan and he never gave us any documentation,” he recalled. “Zero,” County Counselor Alan Weber said of documentation. And, Williams noted, “Briggs said he was no longer interested” at a special meeting May 14 scheduled at his request.
Allen County Realty through its agent John Brocker, is scheduled later this month to auction whatever reasonably can be removed from the old hospital. Demolition bids will be opened after the auction, giving those who bid enough time to consider what salvage from the auction meant.
“The auction (of salvageable materials such as copper) will rip the hospital apart,” County Counselor Alan Weber said.
Also, to clear the air, it was pointed out that G&W — in executive session — had expressed interest in the old hospital site before Briggs first approached commissioners.
“We tried to be fair,” with the June 1 deadline, “and I’m not interested in giving him (Briggs) a second shot, which wouldn’t be fair to the second party (G&W),” Williams said.
Iola Attorney Chuck Apt, Briggs’ representative, told commissioners Briggs was in Topeka Tuesday meeting with departments of Commerce and Health and Environment about a health care project in Iola.
He asked renewed opportunity for Briggs with the aforementioned July 7 deadline. “(Briggs) … needs more time to put together his finances,” Apt said.
Williams noted G&W had provided commissioners with a letter of intent to develop the property. However, no specifics of land transfer between county and the grocer has been discussed in public.
The anticipation is that once a demolition firm is selected, the process will take about three months, meaning construction of a grocery store, or anything else, wouldn’t likely start before mid- to late October.
Talkington also suggested commissioners come to agreement on a sale price for land that will be made vacant by the old hospital’s razing.
County keeps focus on grocery
