CITY POSED TO RAZE HOSPITAL; REFURBISHMENT WOULD HALT PLAN

Proceedings to condemn old St. Francis Hospital could be initiated by the city within a month.

Condemnation that would lead to demolition of the hospital and the old Marquette Hotel, both of which are vacant, has been discussed on numerous occasions by the Cape Girardeau City Council. It again will be on the council's agenda June 15.

Both buildings are in terribly deteriorated conditions and constitute health hazards, Mayor Al Spradling III said Tuesday.

"Something has to be done with them," he said. "The city is more interested in preserving these structures. It is silly to tear anything down if it can be reused."

The old hospital at 801 Good Hope has a new owner: A Springfield, Mo., corporation, 801 Good Hope Inc., purchased the property.

Trent Condellone, a spokesman for the new owner, said the corporation hopes to turn the building into a one-stop government center for social-services agencies. Other options include low-income and senior-citizen housing at a cost of between $3.5 million and $5 million.

A buyer is considering purchase of the Marquette Hotel at Broadway and Fountain, said a source who requested anonymity. The hotel is owned by Thad Bullock of Cape Girardeau, who acquired the building in the late 1960s.

City officials hope developers will renovate one or both of the buildings. If that doesn't happen, the city will tear the buildings down, starting with the St. Francis building.

"If we start a condemnation procedure, and the owners come forth with a viable renovation plan that includes a timetable, we can always drop the suit," said Spradling.

"At what point do we decide to continue to let these buildings dilapidate or take steps to have them torn down?" Spradling asked. "I think somewhere down the line we should start condemnation proceedings."

Down the line could be next month. The council is expected to make proposals on the buildings to the city staff after further discussions.

Included in the 1998-99 city budget is $500,000 in use-tax revenue to pay for demolition costs. That isn't enough to demolish both buildings, so St. Francis likely would be torn down first if private development efforts fail, said Spradling.

"We haven't seen any renovation plans for either building," said Spradling.

"We have had many complaints from people about both buildings," Spradling said.

City officials have said the old hospital site has been a security problem for years. The property's former owner refused to maintain the site.

One of the high-cost items in demolition of either building is asbestos removal, which could run as high as $250,000. The asbestos has to be removed before demolition.

Spradling explained the process that would lead to demolition: "First is the condemnation process. The building has to be declared a dangerous building. Once that happens -- and it could take months -- the owner is afforded due-process rights. If the owner does not carry through with some renovation or fails to have the building torn down, we will tear it down."

Once the structure is down, the city would assess a tax bill for the cost of demolition. The tax bill, said Spradling, is like a lien against the property to recover the demolition cost. The city then could foreclose on the lien through a judicial proceeding to obtain possession of the property and dispose of it as it sees fit.

The old St. Francis is less historic than the hotel and has been plagued by vandalism. It was built at a cost of $100,000 in 1914. It operated as a hospital until October 1976, when the new St. Francis Medical Center opened. The building was then sold to Southeast Missouri State University, which operated used it for student housing until 1985. It has changed hands a number of times since then.

The 115-room Marquette, built at a cost of $200,000, opened in November 1928. It was shut down in July 1971 by the Missouri Division of Health for safety violations.