University buys Carthage hospital for $1
Missouri Southern will take ownership of the McCune-Brooks Hospital building by 2008 and begin renovation. The University has no definite plans for its use at this time.
Though the details may not be set for another year, Missouri Southern bought the old McCune-Brooks hospital building in Carthage.
The University paid only $1 for the building.
He said the dollar amount was a sign of welcoming the University to the city.
“They want us to be there,” said Dr. Julio León, University president. “It’s a nice facility.”
The building was officially owned by the city of Carthage, but those at McCune-Brooks helped make the exchange happen.
“We see Missouri Southern as a tremendous value to the area,” said Bob Copeland, CEO of McCune-Brooks. “It far outweighs the monetary gain that would come from selling the building.”
Copeland said by the University bringing itself to Carthage, the city of Carthage will benefit culturally and educationally.
There are no definite plans for the facility now, but the ultimate transition will be up to Southern.
McCune-Brooks is moving out of the building and into a new building by 2008.
Then, Southern will take over the building and take on the renovation process.
“Obviously, it’s a hospital and not a university,” León said. “So, there will have to be some adaptation.”
He said there are several possible uses for the building including a satellite campus, a facility for high school dual-credit classes, a new home for the Crime Lab and a new home for other programs in need of more space.
“We want to work very closely with the Carthage school system,” León said.
The documents were officially signed by the city of Carthage last November, but Southern signed the documents in January.
León said Sen. Gary Nodler (R-Joplin) was the person who first brought the idea up to have Southern buy the building.
The building buyout has been in the works for around a year and a half since then. Both parties agreed with Nodler’s idea and said they were glad to work together and possible improve the Carthage area.
“We are looking forward to that part of our service area,” León said.
In an effort to show its support for the project, McCune-Brooks has raised the University’s flag outside the building, just underneath its own.
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