|
Southeast
Missouri Hospital announced it has entered into a contract that will
result in the acquisition of 21 acres of land on Cape Girardeau's west
side. The acquisition will double the size of the hospital campus.
At a special meeting on Monday May 14, the Hospital's
Board of Trustees approved entering into a contract with Armstrong
Heritage Trust, Inc., to acquire 17 acres of land on what is today Cape
Girardeau's westernmost edge.
Another 4.2 acres of land was donated to the hospital
by the Trust. The property is located just off Highway 74 along the new
Mount Auburn Road extension, near the new Cape Girardeau Career and
Technical Center and new Central High School.
Tom
Kelsey, broker with Lorimont Place, Ltd. in Cape Girardeau handled
the transaction. The land will be known as the West Campus of
Southeast Missouri Hospital.
The acquisition was announced at a press conference
held at the site. Attending were community leaders from Cape, Jackson
and Scott City; representatives of the Southeast Missouri Hospital Board
of Trustees; Foundation Board;, Hospital Auxiliary; College of Nursing
and Health Sciences Board; and Hospital department heads and nurse
managers.
Also present were members of the Armstrong family who
donated 4.2 acres in memory of their parents. Representing the family
Trust were Olive Keller and Bonnie Ludwig and Bonnie's husband Vernon
Ludwig. Carl Armstrong and Eileen Armstrong Gannon were unable to
attend. Their brother Russell died in 1982.
Administrator James W. Wente called the event an
"historic day for Southeast. Seventy-three years ago, when
Southeast Missouri Hospital opened its doors, the Hospital stood on the
westernmost boundary of cape Girardeau. Today Southeast is once again on
the city's westernmost boundary, and once again prepared to meet the
future." He said approval of the property acquisition is "one
of the greatest things the Board of Trustees has ever done to position
Southeast Missouri Hospital for the future."
Wente noted that since Southeast opened in 1928, the
Hospital has completed 12 major expansions. "The face of our campus
has changed dramatically over the years," Wente said. "We're
proud of the Hospital and we're proud to be in the heart of Cape
Girardeau."
He said Southeast also realizes that as the community
grows in a westward direction, just as it did almost three-quarters of a
century ago, "we must plan for future growth in that direction as
well."
Wente said the Hospital's main campus will be
Southeast's anchor for years and years to come. He added that "many
of the services that we now offer and those that we forsee in the future
will be ambulatory. It is likely that some of these will be developed at
the West Campus."
The hospital, Wente said, will study the healthcare
needs of the region to help determine how best to utilize the land.
Price of the transaction was not disclosed.
Board of Trustees First Vice President Narvol Randol
said the 4.2- acre gift of land by the Armstrong Heritage Trust is a
significant one that is deeply appreciated by the Hospital.
The acreage is a part of what is known as Silver
Springs Farm, settled in 1925 by Florian and Lula Armstrong. Silver
Springs Farm, a part of which is preserved by the Silver Springs
Historical Trust, is the site of the original Andrew Ramsey home which
was built in 1795. Andrew Ramsey was the first American settler in the
Cape Girardeau area. The original, two-story log cabin built by Ramsey
still exists within the walls of the Armstrong farm house and is said to
be one of the oldest buildings still standing between Ste. Genevieve and
Memphis
For Additional Information Contact: |
