Contract in the works for ghost hunts

Colfax Haunted Hospital tours are one step closer to returning for a potential final run now that the Colfax Chamber of Commerce and Downtown Association have made a contract deal with the new owners of the St. Ignatius building.

The deal calls for the new owners to receive a percentage share of the revenue from the tours.

“He hasn't signed the contract yet, but I met with him on Thursday (last week),” said Valoree Gregory, Colfax unified executive director.

Gregory said the owners are on board, but one more step has to be taken before the Haunted Hospital can officially return.

“He has to talk to the city, apparently,” she said.

In March, the city posted signs on the building, deeming it unsafe for habitation. Haunted Hospital was halted due to the unsafe nature of the building, and Gregory attempted to work with the city to fix areas of concern in the building. A structural engineer went through the building and pointed out areas that needed to be roped or fenced off.

Gregory said she is ready to deal with those areas of concern.

“They just want to know if he is going to follow the plan of the structural engineer,” said Gregory. “If they (the city) don't let us in, we can't do the ghost hunts. The owner is talking to the city, the city is talking to the owner.”

Dodd Snodgrass, new Colfax city administrator, told the Gazette Monday that Mayor Todd Vanek has reached out to the building owner, but he had not yet heard of an update on the discussions.

If Haunted Hospital is allowed to resume, Gregory said she wants to be ready go in September.

“Our goal is to do September and October, maybe November,” she said. “We might also be able to do some private tours throughout the winter.”

The availability of the building after October or November will depend on plans of the new owners. Colby Rasmussen, a Spokane contractor who is now helping sell items from the hospital building, said the owners hope to have a plan in place by fall.

The Haunted Hospital will likely not resume after those plans are put into place.

Haunted Hospital was originally planned as a one-time event in October of 2015, but after the success of the first round, the Chamber and Downtown Association continued to use the building through a lease with the building's previous owner. Over the course of nearly two years, the attraction generated thousands of dollars in revenue and earned the hospital an appearance on Good Morning America and a one-hour time slot on TLC's Paranormal Lockdown.

Gregory said that when the all clear is given for the next round of tours, a website will go up with details on tour dates, private tours, and prices.