Nevada County Picayune and Gurdon Times Newspaper Archive

Two Now Seeking To Use Former Hospital Building

Good news looms on the horizon for area residents, and this is not an April Fool's joke.

Two groups are looking seriously at the defunct Nevada County Hospital facility. One group is interested in establishing a rehabilitation unit on the site, while the other is looking at creating a children's hospital.

According to Nevada County Judge James Roy Brown, the Nevada County Quorum Court's hospital committee, the Prescott-Nevada County Economic Development Office and Brown will meet with representatives from both groups and make a recommendation to the entire court when it next meets in regular session Monday, April 13.

"I hope we pick the best one for the building and Nevada County," Brown said.

Chandler Russ, executive director with the EDO, said this is a unique situation and he looks forward to negotiating with both groups.

One of the two groups has released information on its plans for the building and property, while the other has not.

However, both groups are saying the negotiations are complete with the exception of a lease being signed for the structure. Brown and Russ agree the deal has not been completed with either entity and will not be until the meeting with both has been held.

The good news, though, is one of these two groups should be awarded a lease agreement for use of the facility, which should, in turn, bring more jobs to Prescott and Nevada County.

According to John Gorman, with the Washington, D.C.-based group At Risk Kids Foundation, plans are to create the first U.S. Police and Fire Children's Hospital in Prescott.

Prescott, he said, was selected as the possible site because of the community's size, the facility being available and meeting the current needs with room for expansion.

The ARK Foundation is a 501 (c) (3) tax exempt charitable organization.

A release from Fred Campbell, foundation president, the idea for the children's hospital would help bring national recognition to the region.

The foundation, according to the release, was established to benefit the youth of America. It's goals include the building of the hospital, development of anti-drug, game resistance and child abuse educational programs for at-risk youth.

No such information is available concerning the other group interested in locating at the defunct NCH site.

Russ and Brown agree this is not a "done deal," as representatives from both groups have said.

The deal will not be completed until formally approved by the court.

Brown said he expects the justices of the peace to make a decision on one or the other when the court meets April 13.