The building on Morven Road that formerly housed Anson Community Hospital is slated for demolition this summer.
Although a date has not yet been finalized, construction superintendent for Carolinas Healthcare System Joe Estridge said it will probably be July or August.
Since the construction of the new hospital facility on U.S. 74, now known as Carolinas Healthcare System — Anson, there has been a community outcry to try to save the former Anson Community Hospital building, as well as two early 20th-century brick buildings on the same site.
In an effort to try to save the buildings, former County Manager Lawrence Gatewood and the Anson County Board of Commissioners debated for several months last year about ways to keep the properties. In December 2013, the properties were put up for bid by the county. Gatewood said if there were no suitable bids, the buildings would be demolished at the expense of Carolinas HealthCare System.
Since there were no suitable bids, the commissioners had no choice but to approve the demolition of the two old buildings, 5-1, at their meeting on April 1, 2014.
Most recently, retired physician R.B. Liles Jr. spoke at the May 2015 meeting of the county commissioners, saying he does not have a plan for saving the buildings, but he still urged the county to try.
No decisions were made by the commissioners at that meeting, but Clerk to the Board Bonnie Huntley said on Monday that as far as she knew, once any asbestos is cleared from the buildings, demolition will move forward.
“I’m sure that with the ages of the building, there is some [asbestos],” Estridge said. “Any abatement will be handled through state and federal guidelines, and any asbestos that is present will be removed before the building is demolished.”
“As is the case with nearly all such buildings, asbestos was part of the construction during the era in which Anson Community Hospital was built,” added Scott White, director of corporate communications for Carolinas Healthcare. “Carolinas HealthCare System has confirmed its presence through testing by experts in the field. The appropriate documents have been submitted to the State of North Carolina. Bids have been sought for remediation and proper disposal of this substance in accordance with all applicable state and federal regulations.”