The Newman Regional Health Board of Trustees approved a resolution during its meeting Wednesday to move forward with the demolition of Cora Miller Hall.
The resolution cited ongoing expenditures for utilities, repairs and infrastructure maintenance averaging approximately $113,600 annually, as well as a lack of use of the facility and upcoming large-scale repairs, as reasons plans moved forward for the building’s demolition.
Facility assessments identified deferred maintenance needs, including major repairs to the roofing, windows, elevator and boiler systems. According to the resolution, it would cost an estimated $800,000 to keep the building safe and operational into the future.
NRH leadership said they conducted a financial and operational review and determined that continued maintenance would not be the most effective use of hospital resources.
As for the projected cost of the demolition, estimates indicate asbestos remediation will cost $24,860, and demolition and earth fill will cost $211,000.
The total estimated project cost is $235,860. NRH will now determine any bond implications, ensure compliance with governmental and environmental standards and requirements, and verify historical designation considerations prior to demolition.
Cora Miller Hall was utilized for decades as part of the Newman Regional Health School of Nursing, serving as the starting point for thousands of nurses who went on to serve Emporia.
Recently, construction was completed on the new ESU Nursing and Wellness Center, a 32,000-square-foot facility with state-of-the-art technology that made the use of Cora Miller Hall obsolete.
As the new building opened for use in January and nursing education at Emporia State University transitioned to the modern facility, Cora Miller Hall lost its original purpose.
“Cora Miller Hall shaped generations of nurses, and its impact reaches far beyond its walls,” said Cathy Pimple, CEO of Newman Regional Health. “While the building’s chapter is coming to a close, its legacy lives on through our nurses, our partnership with Emporia State University, and our continued commitment to this community.”
Cora Miller Hall will soon no longer stand, but those who passed through its halls went on to serve Emporia for generations.
Also during the Wednesday meeting, the Board of Trustees approved its consent agenda, which included the January financial report, and approved its patient rights policies.
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