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Community continues efforts to save Allis mansion

Date: 3/7/2013

By G. Michael Dobbs

news@thereminder.com

SPRINGFIELD — The historic preservation community in Springfield hopes a qualified developer will step up by April 3 with a plan to save the Allis mansion on the campus of Mercy Medical Center.

Sister of Providence Health System (SPHS) President and CEO Daniel Moen said the organization would make a decision by April 22 about the response to the Request for Proposals the SPHS issued on March 4. The RFPs were sent to a variety of developers

The W.H. Allis house was last used about 12 years ago as a daycare center and has been vacant since that time. The historic home is next to part of the medical center campus that is being developed as a $20 million medical office building. Although the house is not part of the project it is next to, the health system has secured a demolition order to remove it.

Three other building on the campus will be removed to make room for the new office complex.

A task force designated to see if the building can be saved was formed Jan. 23.

City Councilor Timothy Allen thanked SPHS for cooperating so far with the effort to save the building.

Moen said the ideal use of the building would be a social service agency serving children or the poor that fits within the mission of the Sisters of Providence.

When asked what will happen to the building if a developer does not step forward, Moen said, "The prognosis is not a good one if no one is willing to come forward."

An assessment of the building undertaken for SPHS indicated that $6 million to $7 million would have to be spent to renovate the structure.

Robert McCarroll of the Historic Commission believes the amount to actually bring the building up to code may actually be as low as $2 million. He explained that while the building needs new plumbing and wiring, for example, it is structurally sound.

The selected developer would receive a long-term lease to the building, Moen said.

There will be a tour of the building for prospective developers on March 11.

"We remain mindful of the history of the W.H. Allis House and appreciative of the importance of effectively preserving that history, particularly as it relates to the legacy of care provided by the Sisters of Providence. At the same time, our ongoing role as stewards of our limited resources calls us to continue the transformation of the Mercy campus, ensuring our ability to continue to serve the needs of our community while furthering our mission," Moen said.