Cloud County Health Center, Inc. Demolishing Old Hospital in Concordia

Cloud County Health Center, Inc. has started to tear down its old hospital, which was replaced by the newly built North Central Kansas Medical Center in Concordia last fall.

In an effort to meet the growing health care needs of the community, Cloud County Health Center broke ground on a new single-story, state-of-the-art health care facility in Concordia in March of 2021.   The new 76,000-square-foot facility, North Central Kansas Medical Center, is located at 155 W. College Drive and opened its doors on November 16, 2022.

Dave Garnas, Administrator, says DT Wreck It, a regional leader in demolition, environmental, and civil services, is demolishing the 72-year-old hospital piece by piece.

Desiring a viable re-use of the former hospital property in a manner that improves the community, the hospital Board of Trustees voted unanimously last year to gift the previous hospital land to the City of Concordia land bank for the purpose of developing moderate to high income housing.  The Concordia City Commission unanimously approved a Development Agreement with Cloud County Health Center for donation of the property in September 2022.

The city intends to develop a new residential subdivision at 1100 Highland Drive.

Garnas says housing isn't just a need for the hospital, but a need for every employer in the county, and they are pleased to take the first step in growing the community.

Last fall, the City of Concordia was awarded a Moderate Income Housing (MIH) grant from the State Department of Commerce in an effort to address a shortage of moderate income homes in Concordia, which also included the use of a Rural Housing Incentive District to pay for anticipated bonds to be issued to construct the public infrastructure to serve these new homes.  The Concordia City Commission formally established a Rural Housing Incentive District and adopted a plan for the development of housing and public facilities in the district last month.

The city commission has also authorized Campbell & Johnson Engineers to proceed with platting this property to create lots sized appropriately for single-family home construction.  During their December 7, 2022 meeting, the commission authorized public infrastructure to be designed and constructed to support the new homes anticipated to be built on these lots.  Temporary notes will then be issued by the city to finance construction of the public infrastructure and converted to bonds.  Then, through the use of the Rural Housing Incentive District, the incremental increase in property tax revenue generated by construction of the new homes within the district will be used to repay the bonds.  Twelve new moderate income homes and four high income homes are expected to be constructed as a result of implementation of this plan.