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37917 residents hear lowdown on future of St. Mary’s
Posted By katie allison granju
The 37917 neighborhood is very worried about Mercy Health’s plan for the soon-to-be-decommissioned hospital, in the wake of comments some residents have perceived to mean the hospital will become low-income housing.
Jerry Askew of Mercy Health attended a neighborhood association meeting this week to talk about the issue, and one of the attendees blogged Askew’s remarks and posted them on the neighborhood association website:
When asked about the current value of the St. Mary’s property, Dr. Askew said that this was being currently assessed, but is “worth a lot less than people think.” There are 18.5 contiguous acres, and two major buildings, the tower that houses the physicians’ offices and another building, are not owned by St. Mary’s. These would need to be bought back from the current owners in order for Mercy to divest of the St. Mary’s property in its entirety. However, Mercy is committed to saving the historic part of St. Mary’s, Dr. Askew said.
Uses for the St. Mary’s facility that have been suggested include a new college, a YWCA, a United Way non-profit community center, a new location for what is now Lakeshore, UT housing, a Shannondale-like facility, a middle school, or a VA hospital. Dr. Askew emphasized that Mercy is looking for a “positive use” that would “not be a detriment to the community.”
May 15th, 2008
