Work starting soon to demolish old Richmond hospital

RICHMOND, Ind. (AP) - Demolition is starting this week on an abandoned hospital in eastern Indiana that has been badly damaged by vandals over many years.

The former Reid Hospital complex in Richmond has been unused since a new campus opened in 2008. The work starts Thursday.

City officials say they won't need state loans for the project because a contractor's bid was much less than expected. The Palladium-Item reports City Controller Beth Fields now estimates a total cost of $4.3 million, down from an anticipated price of $8.1 million.

The city took over the site after an out-of-state owner stopped paying property taxes in 2011.

___

Information from: Palladium-Item, http://www.pal-item.com