OWNER OF OLD HOSPITAL SEEKS IDEAS

Springfield, Mo., businessman Trent Condellone said Monday he welcomes suggestions about how to use old St. Francis Hospital, a rehabilitation project he calls "extremely difficult."

Condellone's holding company bought the long-vacant Good Hope Street property last month. He said he will try through "political motivation" to secure state involvement in the project. A one-stop government center for social-services agencies or elderly housing are two of the best options, he said.

"We're looking toward the state for the most viable solutions."

How feasible a relationship with the state is should be clear within the next three months, he said.

The 28-year-old Condellone discussed the property Monday night with members of the Haarig Area Development Corp. Sixteen people attended, including City Councilmen Melvin Gateley and Tom Neumeyer.

A flea market is another possibility for the building, Condellone said. He wants to know if anybody else has suggestions for other plans.

"We'll look at almost any option as long as it's not disruptive to the community," he said.

One of those options is resale.

"It's not at this time for sale, although obviously I could be coaxed into selling," he said.

Asked why he thinks he can turn the property into a viable project when other investors and even the state have said it won't work, Condellone said: "We will approach it from a different perspective. We may not be able to do it."

Making the project work will depend on getting low-income tax credits, he said. He labeled incorrect a previous report that he was involved in operating two old Springfield hotels as homeless shelters. He said the hotels were "low-cost housing."

"I have no intention of putting in a homeless shelter or food bank," he said.

Condellone, whose company filed for bankruptcy last year, is involved in a legal dispute with the O'Reilly family in Springfield over ownership of the hotels. "Basically these are not people you should get in business with," he said.

Work on the outside of old St. Francis Hospital will begin immediately and should be completed within 20 days, Condellone said. He said the property will be secured in a manner to satisfy the city, which had been threatening to raze the building before Condellone came along.

The building previously was owned by the estate of Texan Peter Kern. Condellone runs the company called 801 Good Hope Inc. and says he has backing from two out-of-state investors.

This pool of investors previously has been involved in commercial properties and strip centers, he said. "It's not clear why they're wanting to do things in Missouri," he said.

He would not say what the Kern estate was paid for the property.

Condellone estimated that the cost of renovation could range from $3.5 million to $5 million.

Not all of the building would be renovated, he said. He anticipates having to asphalt the hospital grounds to create parking.

Condellone has asked the Cape Girardeau County Commission to abate back taxes and penalties of $20,608 owed on the 85-year-old building. Last week the commission declined to consider doing so until Condellone's plans become more concrete.

After the meeting, Condellone was asked why the thousands of dollars in abatements are important given renovation costs in the millions.

He said he also plans to ask the city to abate its back taxes along with part of the property taxes and the amount required to bring the building up to code. "That can reach $200,000 easily," he said.

Ted Coalter, president of the Haarig Area Development Corp., said he hopes Condellone can find a use for old St. Francis. "He got hold of the building very reasonable," Coalter said. "I think he doesn't know what he wants to do with it."