The former campus of Reid Hospital at 1401 Chester Blvd. stands vacant, marred by years of decay and vandalism. The original hospital was constructed in 1904 and served the Richmond community for more than a century with continuous expansions made to the structure throughout its operation. In 2006, the Reid Health organization sold the property and in 2008 opened a new hospital less than two miles from the original site. The old Reid Hospital property has remained in disuse since the transition.  Jordan Kartholl / The Star Press
The former campus of Reid Hospital at 1401 Chester Blvd. stands vacant, marred by years of decay and vandalism. The original hospital was constructed in 1904 and served the Richmond community for more than a century with continuous expansions made to the structure throughout its operation. In 2006, the Reid Health organization sold the property and in 2008 opened a new hospital less than two miles from the original site. The old Reid Hospital property has remained in disuse since the transition.  Jordan Kartholl / The Star Press

RICHMOND — If everything goes according to plan, the buildings that make up the former Reid Hospital campus would be torn down and cleaned up by May 2019. And the property would be put back into use two years later.

That's according to the city of Richmond's application for a loan from the Indiana Brownfields Program's Revolving Loan Fund. The Palladium-Item received a copy of the loan application after filing a public records request with the city.

The application seeks $8.09 million, which city officials hope will come in the form of a zero-percent-interest, 20-year loan. Included in the documentation are the results of two environmental studies, a breakdown of costs for cleaning up hazards within the buildings, a time line for the project and the city's plans for the redevelopment of the property.

RELATED: The decline of Old Reid: How did we get here?

According to the application, $2.842 million of the total loan amount would be used to pay for taking care of asbestos, lead paint and hazardous waste found in the buildings. Nearly all of that amount ($2.661 million) would be spent on the asbestos problem.

If approved for the loan by the state and if that loan then is approved by Richmond Common Council later this year, cleanup at the site would begin in October and be completed by May 1, 2019. The city plans to acquire the property through foreclosure of real property taxes by Jan. 1, 2018, according to the application.

Copyright © 2024 www.pal-item.com.