Joplin council approves emergency asbestos-abatement and demolition contracts for old Freeman Hospital

The Joplin City Council on an emergency basis approved two contracts to remove asbestos and demolish the long-vacant Freeman Hospital at 2008 South Sargent Avenue, voting 9-0 to accept a $63,900 asbestos-abatement bid and a $331,300 demolition bid.

City staff said the project will be paid with a combination of city ARPA funds and a state ARPA grant. "Fifty percent of the cost will be covered by the city's ARPA funds and the other 50% will be covered by the state's ARPA grant," said Mister Bolander, who presented the project and the competitive bid results to the council. Staff estimated total project costs, including prior environmental and title work, at $407,342.

The council's action followed presentations on environmental testing. Rand Raglan, a Terracon representative who performed the phase 1 environmental site assessment in December 2024, told the council his team found the building in poor condition and observed unlabeled 55-gallon drums and an old incinerator inside. "We identified a couple of 55-gallon drums in poor condition, no content labels," Raglan said, and recommended careful characterization before demolition.

Council members asked whether the drums had contents and whether additional sampling and lab-packing would be required; Raglan and staff said that characterization would be part of pre-demolition testing and that lab packing and proper disposal would occur if material is present. Bolander said the city solicited bids offering three procurement options (asbestos abatement only, demolition only, or a combined abatement-and-demolition bid) and received 10 responses; the lowest abatement bid came from Environmental Operations Inc. and the lowest demolition bid from Denton Excavating/Miller & Reckon Wrecking. The council approved both contracts on an emergency basis.

Nonprofit partners outlined plans for the cleared site. Thomas Walters of the city's new development division described a proposed development that Walters said uses a proven design and a 60/40 financing structure (60% HOME funds, 40% first mortgages) projected over a 15-year performance period. Ryan Peterson of Economic Security said his nonprofit secured a land donation for the project, and Scott Clayton of Joplin Area Habitat for Humanity and the Joplin Economic Housing Development Initiative said the partners plan three two-story duplexes as rentals targeted to seniors and veterans.

Neighbors urged quicker removal and raised questions about transparency and compliance. Mary Price, a resident who spoke during public comment, accused city leadership of "manipulation" and said she would seek oversight from state and federal agencies, noting concerns about ARPA obligation dates. "This isn't public service. It's public betrayal," Price told council members. When asked whether the project still qualified for ARPA funding despite earlier timing questions, a city official, Leslie, replied that the obligation occurred when the state provided the grant funding and confirmed the funds were considered obligated.

Tara Johnston, a neighbor who said she lives at 2021 South Jackson Avenue, described repeated vandalism at the site and recounted an April incident in which broken glass nearly injured children playing nearby. "Somebody almost killed my grandkids," Johnston said, urging the council to ensure neighbors' safety until the building is removed. Council members and staff discussed containment measures, mold and lead-control practices consistent with EPA guidance, and the need for insurance and additional testing or contract addenda to address drums and potential contaminants.

What the council did: Council bill 2025-352, awarding the asbestos-abatement contract to Environmental Operations Inc. for $63,900, passed on emergency basis, 9-0. Council bill 2025-354, awarding the demolition contract to Denton Excavating/Miller & Reckon Wrecking for $331,300, also passed on emergency basis, 9-0.

Next steps and caveats: Staff said pre-demolition characterization and any required lab-packing or additional remediation will be completed before demolition, and that the city and contractors will be required to follow industry best practices for dust, lead and mold containment. An MOU with the nonprofit developer is expected later on the agenda to govern construction of affordable units on the cleared lots. Several council members said questions remain about the two lots not included in the acquisition and asked staff to confirm insurance, sampling scope and any necessary contract amendments before work begins.