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Independence, MO —
Residents near the former Medical Center of Independence continue to voice concerns to their City Council members, eager to know the future of the hospital now shuttered for five-and-a-half years.
District 3 Council Member Myron Paris made a suggestion Monday night to City Manager Robert Heacock: An ad-hoc committee of council members should form to study the issue.
“… I have something that’s bothering me and has been bothering me for quite some time,” said Paris, who also brought up the former hospital during the open-ended council comment time at a September meeting. “I have been getting repeated calls about the MCI hospital and what has not been going on out there.”
Paris requested that three council members, including District 2 Council Member Curt Dougherty, form the committee, which would meet regularly with city staff members
Paris suggested Dougherty since his district also borders the former hospital, with 23rd Street (Missouri 78) as the dividing line between the districts. Dougherty said he also receives many calls from constituents on the issue.
The former hospital, just east of the 23rd Street and Missouri 291 intersection, closed in May 2007 when Centerpoint Medical Center opened on 39th Street.
Plans surfaced in 2008 to convert MCI into affordable senior housing, but the developer abandoned those plans after being unable to secure at least half ($6 million) of the tax increment financing funds available to redevelop the two closed hospitals. (The former Independence Regional Health Center received $10 million of the available $12 million in the TIF.)
“Let’s find out where we’re going with that,” Paris said. “I have to have some answers, and I know others feel the same way. I’d like to put some emphasis on that and get some movement on it.”
Heacock said he will work with council members to draft a resolution that would form the committee. He also said the city has tried, for several months, to organize a meeting with the property owner.
“It’s proved very difficult, first of all, to identify who the property owner is,” Heacock said, adding that the former hospital was headed to sale earlier this year on the Jackson County Courthouse steps, but that action was terminated after resolution was reached between the property owner and Jackson County.
“We have definitely tried to do what we could, from staff’s standpoint,” Heacock said.
Dougherty said he knows staff has worked hard on the issue, “but we’re just not satisfied with the results,” he added.
“It is an absolute black eye of the city,” Dougherty said. “It is the true definition of blight, which that word is thrown around here pretty loosely. I’ll show you what blight really is. I’d be honored to work on that committee with (Paris), and we will make our diligent efforts to give a true and accurate report back to the citizens on what can and cannot be done with that building, and hopefully, can take some action.”
Residents near the former Medical Center of Independence continue to voice concerns to their City Council members, eager to know the future of the hospital now shuttered for five-and-a-half years.
District 3 Council Member Myron Paris made a suggestion Monday night to City Manager Robert Heacock: An ad-hoc committee of council members should form to study the issue.
“… I have something that’s bothering me and has been bothering me for quite some time,” said Paris, who also brought up the former hospital during the open-ended council comment time at a September meeting. “I have been getting repeated calls about the MCI hospital and what has not been going on out there.”
Paris requested that three council members, including District 2 Council Member Curt Dougherty, form the committee, which would meet regularly with city staff members
Paris suggested Dougherty since his district also borders the former hospital, with 23rd Street (Missouri 78) as the dividing line between the districts. Dougherty said he also receives many calls from constituents on the issue.
The former hospital, just east of the 23rd Street and Missouri 291 intersection, closed in May 2007 when Centerpoint Medical Center opened on 39th Street.
Plans surfaced in 2008 to convert MCI into affordable senior housing, but the developer abandoned those plans after being unable to secure at least half ($6 million) of the tax increment financing funds available to redevelop the two closed hospitals. (The former Independence Regional Health Center received $10 million of the available $12 million in the TIF.)
“Let’s find out where we’re going with that,” Paris said. “I have to have some answers, and I know others feel the same way. I’d like to put some emphasis on that and get some movement on it.”
Heacock said he will work with council members to draft a resolution that would form the committee. He also said the city has tried, for several months, to organize a meeting with the property owner.
“It’s proved very difficult, first of all, to identify who the property owner is,” Heacock said, adding that the former hospital was headed to sale earlier this year on the Jackson County Courthouse steps, but that action was terminated after resolution was reached between the property owner and Jackson County.
“We have definitely tried to do what we could, from staff’s standpoint,” Heacock said.
Dougherty said he knows staff has worked hard on the issue, “but we’re just not satisfied with the results,” he added.
“It is an absolute black eye of the city,” Dougherty said. “It is the true definition of blight, which that word is thrown around here pretty loosely. I’ll show you what blight really is. I’d be honored to work on that committee with (Paris), and we will make our diligent efforts to give a true and accurate report back to the citizens on what can and cannot be done with that building, and hopefully, can take some action.”
