Group attempts to save Boulder City’s first hospital
Saving historic buildings isn’t always a high priority in Southern Nevada, but Boulder City has worked to make it so.
However, the city’s first hospital, originally built by the Six Cos. in 1931 for those working on the Hoover Dam, may soon fall to the wrecking ball as a local developer looks to build homes in its place.
The hospital building, which hasn’t served as such since the 1970s, is located atop a hill in Boulder City’s historic district with a panoramic view of Lake Mead.
The building has fallen into disrepair. Its white exterior is chipped, its doors and windows are boarded up, and trash is strewn around the outside of the structure.
But according to Boulder City historian Dennis McBride who serves as director of the Nevada State Museum, the building is one of the most important in the small city’s history.
“This was a place that made a direct impact on people’s lives. To lose it when it may not be necessary would be a crime and tragedy,” he said. “I really do feel strong for this. To see it torn down and not even considered for anything more for the public good is sad. It’s touched an emotional nerve that I don’t think any other building in town has.”
The Historic Boulder City Foundation, a new group that officially formed July 7, is trying to make sure the building is restored instead of demolished.
The foundation has nearly 400 members on its Facebook page, according to Chairman Keegan Strouse, who added that about 35 members go door-to-door to share the importance of preserving historic buildings.
The foundation is currently under the umbrella of the Desert Sculptors Association, a Boulder City-based non-profit.
The effort to save historic buildings started when Boulder City resident and Planning Commission member Randy Schams submitted a proposal to demolish the hospital building during the town’s Historic Preservation Committee’s June 24 meeting. Schams said he intends to eventually develop homes with an historic feel on the lot.
But on July 9, a group of about 30 concerned residents met to discuss what could be done to save the old hospital.
Strouse also launched an online petition that has gained more than 500 signatures in less than a month, and current and former residents spoke at the July 14 Boulder City Council meeting to voice their displeasure about the possible demolition.
Community Development Director Brok Armantrout said the city’s 1930 master plan map shows the old hospital’s location as the site for a hotel, but in 1931, Six Cos. instead built a hospital to treat Hoover Dam workers.
Boulder City Hospital Inc., a nonprofit, acquired the building in 1954 and maintained it until 1977 when Sisters of Charity, another nonprofit, took it over and used it as a retreat, according to Frausto.
The property hit the market in the early 2000s, and I Am Free Inc., a religious organization, took it over in 2012. The group tried to establish a church in the building but defaulted on the property, city records show.
The building quickly became a hangout for troublemakers who trashed it, and the city was forced to board up the doors and windows to prevent additional damage.
LGS Holdings eventually acquired the building in 2014 and sold it to Schams.
Strouse said the group has been in talks with Schams about buying the property from him and turning it into a Great Depression museum.
“He has said openly that he would be interested in selling it to a potential buyer, so that is something we’d pursue ideally,” Strouse said. “We opened the line of communication and he knows that we’re trying to gain support for this.”
Strouse said that Schams, who could not be reached for comment, would sell the property to the foundation for $1.6 million, about three times what he paid for it. According to the Clark County assessor’s office, the two-acre lot has a taxable value of $920,863 and Schams paid $550,000 on the property, which closed escrow July 22.
Strouse added that Schams told the foundation that it needed to come up with the money by mid-August. Strouse also said that both sides have been in communication about possible alternatives, though he would not divulge details.
Preserving the hospital is the foundation’s main focus, but Strouse said the group also wants to make sure other historic buildings are saved.
“We want to encourage better protection for buildings within the historic district,” he said. “There’s a whole vision for Boulder City that’s shared with anyone who admires the history of our town.”
McBride said it would be great to see the building saved, though it might be too late.
“If this ball had gotten rolling three months ago instead of three weeks ago, I think there would be a much better chance,” he said. “Out of this effort, whether it’s successful or not, I’d like to see a movement or organization to target buildings before it gets to this point.”
Contact reporter Steven Slivka at sslivka@bouldercityreview.com or 702-586-9401. Follow him on Twitter @StevenSlivka.
