By Kris Leonhardt

Editor

MARSHFIELD — During the Aug. 8 meeting of the Marshfield Common Council, city leaders approved a resolution that would declare the Marshfield Medical Center property to be blighted and authorize the Community Development Authority to assist in redevelopment.

“In this case the blighting of the former St. Joseph’s Hospital would designate it as a facility needing renovations and updates and potentially open doors to funding for improvements,” said Mayor Chris Meyer. “This is not a condemnation of the building, which is used when a building is advanced to the point of disrepair, so I want to be clear that we are not talking about condemning the hospital, but we are talking about blighting the hospital: opening the doors to potential additional funding sources for renovations and improvements.”

Marshfield Clinic Health System plans to spend more than $60 million in the upcoming five years to advance the hospital. Immediate issues to be addressed include improvements to a nonoperational catheterization lab, a new pharmacy dispensing system, the purchase of new MRI equipment, and a new revolving door for the emergency department entrance.

“The Marshfield Medical Center is part of the very fabric of and a major economic driver in the community. Today’s decision by the common council will give us even more opportunities and resources to make significant investments and improvements to the facility. We’ve committed to bringing the highest quality care in the most up-to-date facility, and today’s decision will help us deliver on that commitment,” said John Gardner, Marshfield Clinic Health System director of communications, in a release statement.

The council voted 9-0, with Chris Jockheck absent at the time of the vote, to pass the resolution to declare the Marshfield Medical Center property blighted.