GROUP DISCUSSES OLD ST. FRANCIS

The president of Haarig Area Development Corp. says he doubts a Springfield businessman's plans to redevelop the old St. Francis Hospital building will come to pass.

The Haarig group voted Monday night to endorse the Happy Hollow site for a possible new federal building in Cape Girardeau.

At the group's monthly meeting, the president, Ted Coalter, read a letter from Trent Condellone of 801 Good Hope Inc., which purchased the old hospital in April.

In the letter, Condellone indicated that efforts to attract investors for the project have been damaged by news the city is considering razing the structure.

Condellone wrote that news the city has budgeted $500,000 for demolition of the structure and the old Marquette Hotel building has "scared off our potential investors" and "damaged our negotiating position" in marketing the project.

"The recent actions of the city have done nothing to speed things up but has actually slowed things down," Condellone wrote, adding that the corporation will be "forced to spend time and money" defending itself against a potential condemnation suit.

Condellone said the corporation is "going forward without plans" on its intentions to redevelop the building at Good Hope and Pacific.

He also said in the letter that he had lost financing for part of the project, including building a fence around the property, because investors were worried about the building's future.

When the building was purchased, Condellone said 801 Good Hope Inc. would pursue plans to turn it into a one-stop government center for social-services agencies.

In the letter, he said he would continue to pursue state contracts and would also contact the General Services Administration about purchasing the property for the new federal building.

The city has not taken any action to begin condemnation of the property, pointed out councilmen Melvin Gateley and Tom Neumeyer, who were both at Monday night's meeting.

Council members on June 15 will discuss what actions if any the city might take against the old hospital building, which has stood empty and derelict for several years, Gateley said, adding the city "would be more than interested" in working with a developer to save the building.

Neumeyer said restoration of the building is the city's "first wish."

"But if that doesn't happen, we are faced with Plan B, which is deconstruction," he said.

Coalter said he thinks Condellone is using his concerns about the city's actions "almost as an excuse not to do anything" with the property.

"Every week there's just a complete jumping around. He doesn't have a plan. He doesn't have any investors," Coalter said. "He's got the building, and now he doesn't know what to do with it."

If the city decides to tear the building down, "I'm for it," Coalter said.

In the meantime, Condellone has set up an Internet Web site on his plans for the old hospital building at:

http://home.att.net/tildetcondellone/cape.htm

On the Web site, Condellone disputes "wild rumors started by self-serving people" about the condition of the building.

Condellone says on the site that the building is sound with no leaks and "a minimum" of friable asbestos that "can easily, and economically be removed." As for a reported leak in the basement, he says, the water found was from a water meter that had not been shut off.

Condellone also says on the Web site that there is "no comparison" between the condition of the old hospital and the old Marquette Hotel downtown, which is reportedly about to be sold.

"St. Francis has no leaks, no structure problems, no trash or vermin -- just a few birds that will be eliminated this June as part of a further program at securing the structure," Condellone says on the Web site.

In other action, the Haarig group voted to support the Happy Hollow site for construction of a possible new federal building after having previously tried to push the old hospital site for the building.

Neumeyer said the General Services Administration is "very happy with" the Happy Hollow site and pointed out that the site will help increase traffic around the Haarig district.

U.S. Sen. Christopher "Kit" Bond and U.S. Rep. Jo Ann Emerson want Congress to include more than $2 million in the fiscal 1999 federal budget to fund design work of the federal building.

The GSA is studying the feasibility of building a $30 million courthouse on the Happy Hollow site south of Independence.

Supporters of the plan to build the federal building say the existing facility is overcrowded. If a full-time district judge is assigned to Cape Girardeau, more room will be needed.