Old hospital facility to be discussed at community meetings next week

In January 2017, Carter County hired Slate Architecture to complete a Preliminary Architectural Report (PAR) to assess the needs and evaluate options for Dahl Memorial Hospital to meet future health care needs of the community. The goal was to select an option for upgrades to the hospital that provides the best value considering a balance between facility needs and cost. The eventual plan, which came to be known as Option #6, was reported on in early 2018 and by November of that year a bond issue for a new hospital facility to be built at the site of the old Ekalaka Elementary was on the ballot. It passed, 477 to 280.

Construction on the facility started in September of 2019. Dahl Memorial Healthcare Association moved into the new Carter County Community Healthcare Facility in November, 2021.

Throughout the process of discussions on building a new facility, as well as at public meetings that were held around the county by Dahl CEO Ryan Tooke to answer questions and hear public comment about the bond issue back in 2018, one of the main concerns from residents was what would become of the old facility.

Suggestions at those meetings were vast and included a complete tear down of the old building, remodeling it into apartments, remodeling it into office spaces and other ideas.

It took some time for Dahl to get everything moved out of the old facility, but since that time it has been vacant.

Carter County residents will once again have an opportunity for their voices to be heard during public meetings scheduled for next week in Ekalaka and Alzada. The meetings are hosted by the commissioners in conjunction with TAB (Technical Assistance for Brownfields) and Adaapta.

Formed in 2015, Adaapta is a woman-owned business that builds on its founder, Mary Hashem's, 30 plus years of experience as an environmental consultant, risk management expert, and brownfield developer. Adaapta's mission is to use experience in the brownfields industry to educate, empower, and equip communities to successfully redevelop their underutilized and contaminated properties. Adaapta approaches the remediation process holistically, from remedial approach to planning and financing complex redevelopment projects.

TAB provides free technical assistance to communities and other stakeholders with brownfields redevelopment efforts including free workshops, webinars, online training and e-tools.

In a virtual meeting with Kate Lucas of Adaapta and Maggie Belanger from TAB on Tuesday, the Eagle learned that Belanger assists with "community engagement pieces" for possible reuses of brownfields about 12-20 times per year throughout a large region in the United States. Additionally, TAB is funded through grants, so these meetings are completely free to the county.

"We will be there [in Carter County] to facilitate conversations," Belanger added.

The goal of the meetings is simply to receive community input which will be considered when doing a feasibility analysis and market study of the old hospital. Once completed, that information will be given to the commission. The commission will then decide what steps to take next.

The information will basically include, Belanger said, "Here are some options, and here are the pros and cons to each of them."

The first meeting about possible reuses of the old facility will be held on May 22 at 7 p.m. inside the Carter County Event Center. The second meeting will take place at the Alzada Community Hall in Alzada on May 23, also at 7 p.m.