The former St. Elizabeth Hospital in Hutchinson has a long and storied history dating back to 1920. While the 50,000 square foot structure served important purposes over many years, the presence of asbestos throughout the property created a dangerous situation for future use. In 2016, InterFaith Housing and Community Services was offered the property, after the former owners had unsuccessfully tried to auction it off, and
“In donating that facility to us, we did evaluate the risk and the opportunity and ultimately chose to accept the deed. We've spent three years working with the Kansas Department of Health and Environment as well as the federal EPA. In multiple inspections, it was determined that the best plan of action would be to remove the structure and to redevelop the site,” said Clint Nelson, President and CEO, Interfaith Housing and Community Services (Interfaith).
In collaboration with local authorities and partners like Freshco, an asbestos abatement company, Interfaith embarked on a mission to safely remove the hazardous material from the site. With ARPA funding secured through partnerships with Reno County and the City of Hutchinson, the financial burden of asbestos remediation became manageable. This critical support ensured that the path towards demolition and subsequent construction could proceed unhindered.
“We actually approached Interfaith Housing with a deal because, you know, we're in the community. We saw they weren't able to make progress due to the asbestos being, and so we felt like it would be a good partnership to offer them a price that a normal everyday contractor just wouldn't make,” said Raymond Howell, Owner, FreshCo.
Though the building itself may be destined for demolition, its legacy of community benefit will live on through a transformative redevelopment project led by Interfaith. Interfaith's vision for the site encompasses a 14-unit apartment complex, offering affordable housing options for Hutchinson residents. By repurposing the land in this manner, Interfaith is contributing to the ongoing revitalization of the neighborhood while addressing pressing housing needs.
“We would expect that all of the construction redevelopment work will be performed by local builders and local tradesmen, which benefits the local economy. We’re so excited to see something positive come out of this very challenging project that Interfaith has been in the middle of,” said Clint.
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