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. Staff photo: 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. Staff photo: Jordan Kartholl / The Star Press
RICHMOND — More than once over the past few months, Mayor Dave Snow said there would be a time when he would ask Wayne County officials to contribute toward the cost of cleaning up and tearing down the former Reid Hospital site.

That moment came Wednesday night. The amount he asked for: $2 million.

"I think we can all agree it goes without saying that we know that for anyone that lives and works in Richmond, this is a problem," Snow said during a joint meeting of the Wayne County Council and county commissioners. "And we are finally seeing a light at the end of the tunnel to get this problem resolved."

The city of Richmond has been approved for two loans that would pay for remediation and demolition of the old Reid site.

One would be a 20-year, zero-percent-interest loan of $2.84 million from the Indiana Brownfields Program's Revolving Loan Fund. That money would be used for remediation of asbestos, lead paint and hazardous waste at the former hospital.

The second would be a 20-year, 2-percent-interest loan for $5.248 million for demolition of the buildings that make up the old Reid campus.

"Two million dollars is less than a quarter of the entire amount it will cost to do this, but your partnership will speak volumes and will help us carry the momentum forward to garner other partnerships and really buy this down," Snow said.
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