VALDOSTA — Members of the Hospital Authority of Valdosta-Lowndes County d/b/a South Georgia Medical Center voted last week to demolish the old Sallas-Mahone Elementary School property on Patterson Street.

The authority purchased this property from the Valdosta City School System on June 27, 2001.

“There are water problems that have been there for years,” said Jack Edwards, SGMC’s chief planning officer. “We know we need to fix that. We have studied this facility thoroughly and have determined that it is in really bad shape.”

Edwards said it would cost the hospital close to $400,000 to go in and renovate the property, which includes replacing the entire heating and cooling system as well.

Doing so, Edwards said, would only be a temporary solution.

“In the long run, it would be far better for us to go ahead and demolish the property and build what we need,” Edwards added.

Representatives from the authority are in the process of sending out requests for bids, which they hope to have back in a few weeks.

“As quick as we can get the bids in and choose a qualified company to do the demolition, we want to move on,” Edwards said.

In the meantime, Edwards said hospital officials plan to set up modular buildings along the periphery of the property to house a few of the medical center’s departments until something permanent can be constructed.

When asked what medical center officials plan to build on the site, Edwards said no decision has been made at this time.



To contact reporter Jessica Pope, please call 244-3400, ext. 255.