Environmental study needed: St. Ignatius purchase at a stall

The future of St. Ignatius Hospital is once again up in the air with the reported sale stalling. Colfax Unified Executive Director Valoree Gregory reported last Thursday, Dec. 15, that the potential buyer had hit a stall due to the cost involved with an environmental assessment of the building.

That same day, an article published in the Gazette detailed that the sale could be finalized by Jan. 1. The report of the stall came after press deadline.

The potential buyer, who is wishing to remain anonymous, is still reportedly “very interested” in the former hospital.

“We're still trying to figure out a few things,” said Gregory.

The environmental study is the hold up, Gregory reported.

“The environmental study is more expensive than he expected. He's looking at it as a study that's going to be done for a building he doesn't even own yet,” she said. “We're working with him to see if we can help him out.”

Gregory said she has been trying to help the potential buyer look into grants and explore avenues to have the environmental study completed so the purchase can go through.

“He really wants it, he's really interested,” she said.

The potential buyer has a contract with Anthony Girges, current building owner who resides in the Los Angeles area, to have the sale finalized by Jan. 1.

“It's a legal document that said 'you have this many days to do this,'” said Gregory.

Gregory said the asking price of the building, which has not been disclosed, could change when that contract expires. The potential buyer has not put down any money yet, she said.

Mayor Todd Vanek said the city is in communication with both parties.

“We're communicating with both the buyer and the seller right now,” he said. “That's the extent of what we're doing.”

Gregory said she still hopes for the sale to go through, but she also said the Chamber and Downtown Association will plan to use the building if the sale eventually falls through.

“We're not going to just let it sit,” she said.

Haunted Hospital tours have been ongoing at various times since October of 2015. The tours have generated thousands of dollars for the Chamber and Downtown Association and have also brought national attention to the once abandoned building. Gregory said she would hope to continue the tours, though she would rather have the sale go through.

Tours, however, will not be able to commence immediately if the sale drops. The building has been deemed unsafe.

“The city did a report and said we couldn't occupy it for safety reasons,” said Gregory.

Gregory does not know at this time what the report contains, but she would like to know.

“We've asked for the report to know what we need to do to fix it,” she said. “If the sale is going to fall through, we're going to figure out what we do. Hopefully we get to go back in.”

Mayor Vanek said the report is in the process of being completed, and once it is, Girges will receive the report and make a decision about if anyone can go in the building.

“That's up to the owner,” he said. “The inspections have been completed.”

Gregory did report last week that the potential buyer is really interested in the power plant building behind St. Ignatius. She said he wants to make a brew pub there and then plans some sort of multi-use facility for the actual hospital building.