The site of the old Allen County Hospital will be ready for development about Nov. 1, if an auction and razing of the building can be done in a timely manner.
John Brocker of Allen County Realty told Allen County commissioners Tuesday morning that he will arrange an auction of left over equipment as well as for salvage material, such as copper wire. Salvage of scrap metal likely would fetch more in an open auction than through sealed bids, Brocker said, or as an addendum to a demolition contract.
Anything sold at the auction, planned for the third week in June, must be removed within 30 days . By then a demolition company will have been identified and will be expected to start razing the structure no later than Aug. 1.
County Counselor Alan Weber said demolition likely would take about 90 days, a timeline re-enforced by a conversation with a representative of one of four companies that have expressed interest. As for cost, based on the $250,000 contract for removing and leveling the older Anderson County Hospital site in Garnett, Weber said he wouldn’t be surprised if a contract here was $400,000 or more.
As a cost buffer, the county will accept refuse at its landfill. Also, Bill King, director of Public Works, said his department could provide crushed rock and dirt to fill the hole of where the hospital’s basement lies. No estimate was made of what those concessions would mean to a demolition bid, but they no doubt will have a positive effect from the county’s perspective.
Arlyn Briggs, who on Friday pulled from consideration plans to develop the hospital building as a health care facility for Alzheimer’s and other patients, came unannounced and fussed a bit with commissioners. He charged they undercut his efforts in favor of development of the site for a grocery and apartments.
Commission Chairman Tom Williams was abrupt in countering Briggs’ contention, noting commissioners had given him until June 1 to present a formal development proposal, including business and financial plans. Commissioners at no time violated their verbal agreement to wait until the deadline before moving to another development proposal, Williams said.
Commissioners said they still were open to proposals for the cleared site.
Briggs said he had four sites in mind for his care unit, including about three acres owned by the county just to the northwest of Allen County Regional Hospital and facing Oregon Road. He envisions a facility containing 7,000 square feet.
County outlines hospital demolition plans
