McCook Daily Gazette: Local News: Picturesque home facing demolition (05/22/09)

A brick house is slated to be demolished as part of Cambridge Memorial Hospital's expansion project.
[Click to enlarge]

CAMBRIDGE -- The Georgian Colonial two-story brick home west of Cambridge Memorial Hospital on Highway 6&34 in Cambridge will be demolished by July 15 to make room for the hospital expansion project. Roger Steinkruger, CEO of the Tri Valley Health System, told the Cambridge Clarion that the board of trustees would have preferred that the house, which is owned by the health system, was moved and preserved.

"However," he said, "to do so has proven to be cost prohibitive." Steinkruger said professional housemovers have estimated the house -- without the breezeway and garage -- weighs 400-450 tons. It would require special hydraulic, self-propelled, industrial-strength dollies to move, it could not be moved across bridges, and any incline on the travel route could not exceed an 8 percent grade, Steinkruger said. Estimates to move the large home have ranged from $125,000 to more than $450,000. Sealed bids will be accepted until 5 p.m., Tuesday, June 9, on salvaging items inside and outside the house, garage and breezeway. All salvaged items must be removed from the premises by Wednesday, July 1. Contact Steinkruger at the hospital (308) 697-3329; or e-mail tvhsceo@trivalleyhealth.com.

Bids may be mailed to: Tri Valley Health System, Attn: Salvage Bids, P.O. Box 488, Cambridge, NE 69022-0488;

I pass by this beautiful home many times each year on my way to Medicine Creek RES. and there is more than enough room to accomidate the hospital and this beautiful home. I thought some one was living there because it has a new paved driveway and looks occupied. If the city of Cambridge allows this and lets that hiddous purple house on Shole and hyw 6 to stand then there is somethig VERY WRONG with Cambeidge citizens.

Respectfully

Karen

-- Posted by kaygee on Fri, May 22, 2009, at 8:02 PM

Private citizens own the purple house and it's not obstructing anything.

sometimes even the nicest houses have to torn down for a city to grow. I think the Expansion of a hospital is probably more important then house no matter how nice. The hospital expansion will probably bring more jobs into Cambridge and the possibilities of more nice houses.

Or you could start a fund to get the money saved to buy some property and move the house. Just keep in mind that the house will probably have to stay with-in a few miles of Cambridge.

-- Posted by npwinder on Sat, May 23, 2009, at 10:50 AM

If you would ask at the hospital there is no way to save the house, I'm sure they'd be happy to show you all of the ways they tried to not remove it. A new hospital will be wonderful for the city and the area. In fact when you are at Medicine Creek, where do you think the ambulace will take you if you are sick or injured. Won't it be wonderful to have a new state of the art facility for your care. The house is pretty yes, but not historical at all. The Cambridge paper article was more indepth, you would read how/why this decision was made.

-- Posted by farmersdaughter on Sat, May 23, 2009, at 1:49 PM

Let's see, as the areas population goes down, why don't we build more hospitals. That way we can have more overpaid doctors seeing fewer patients. Thereby, those fewer patients will pay more. What a wonderful economic model.

-- Posted by Chunky Peanut Butter on Mon, May 25, 2009, at 4:45 PM