At this time, SSM Health has no plans to tear down the old St. Mary's Hospital facility.
That's the message from hospital officials as community groups continue to discuss what to do with the old hospital complex.
"Our goal is to find a buyer that will repurpose the site for the betterment of the community," said hospital spokesman Becki Collier.
Cole County commissioners and other county elected officials this past week discussed the possibility of moving non-court related county offices out of their current downtown location, as well as moving the county health department from its site on Industrial Boulevard, into the St. Mary's Medical Office Building, located next to the old hospital. That facility has 40,000 square feet of space along with 120-150 parking spaces, which could address county office space and parking needs.
"We have had some preliminary inquiries about the old facilities," Collier said. "However, no specific plans have been presented to SSM. All interested parties have asked to remain confidential at this point."
Some county officials have said if they wanted to make a serious offer on the medical building it needed to be done in the very near future since their understanding is that the old hospital complex would eventually be torn down.
But, Collier said, razing the buildings is not in their plans.
"Again, at this point we are focused on repurposing the facility for the betterment of the community," she said.
St. Mary's does intend to demolish structures at 505 and 511 Missouri Blvd.
The buildings, which are located across Missouri Boulevard from the old hospital's primary buildings, are about 60 years old and completely in the flood plain. It was announced in February that, after 18 months on the market, the hospital had not received a serious inquiry from anyone wanting to purchase those buildings.
Hospital representatives told Jefferson City Historic Preservation officials that the lots would be more marketable and less of a liability for the hospital if those buildings were razed.
Unlike those smaller buildings, Collier said SSM plans to leave the buildings comprising the hospital complex on the market indefinitely.
"It is our goal to ensure the future use of the facilities to be a positive one for our community," she said. "We will continue to leave the site on the market until such an opportunity presents itself."
A year ago, SSM had agreed to donate the buildings to state government, with plans to give part of the former hospital to the Linn-based State Technical College of Missouri for its medical technology program and to Jefferson City's Lincoln University for an expanded nursing program and a new culinary arts program.
But that agreement vanished after Gov. Jay Nixon vetoed the $6 million appropriation that state officials were going to use to renovate the facilities.
When asked if SSM would be open again to donating the complex for the right reuse, Collier said they are open to all ideas for use of the facilities.
"Our primary focus is to ensure that the site is transferred for a use that is positive for our community," Collier said. "With that said - because we are a non-profit organization - there are certain tax laws that would prohibit the donation of the property to a for-profit entity.
"We are still very much open to the possible opportunities that were proposed with the state, last year, during this current legislative session."
State Sen. Mike Kehoe, R-Jefferson City, said last week there's no movement this year for the state to renew its interest in the complex.
Nixon originally backed the St. Mary's project, and his administration had been negotiating with SSM Healthcare officials about the terms and conditions of the transfer of the ownership of the hospital complex, involving the current property between Missouri Boulevard and Bolivar Street.
Kehoe and others have said they still would like to see Lincoln and the State Technical College in the old hospital.
And some have suggested there might be ways to develop a public-private partnership.
But, so far, no formal proposals have been announced.