Hospital demo set

After three years of limbo, a decision has been made – Harken Hospital will be coming down. Osceola City Council accepted a bid of $69,403 from Bud Jones Construction for the demolition of the building at 216 S. Fillmore St., with a request for completion by April 1, 2026.

The fate of the old hospital has been ongoing since October 2022, when the council first discussed a proposed demolition of the building that had fallen into a state of disrepair from years of exposure to the elements, animals and vandalism. At that time, a six-month extension was granted to the Historic Preservation Committee to explore if the building could be registered as historic, if the structure was salvageable and if there was a viable funding stream for repairs and restoration. A visit from an architect found original architecture from the 1910s and 20s, however structurally speaking the building was not eligible to be on the National Register of Historic Places. Once repairs were made, then the process could begin on having it added to the register, as well as open up grant opportunities for further restoration.

Work continued by the Historic Preservation Commission to find ways to raise the funds to save the building with the council granted additional extensions. The owner of the building told city staff later in 2024 that he had no desire to save the building and wanted it taken down. Earlier this year, the owner conveyed the property to the city of Osceola via quit claim deed. In August, the council approved the city moving forward with quotes for asbestos removal and demolition.

Three additional demolition bids were received by the city: Iowa Demolition for $78,000, Denney Construction for $92,880 and Andrew Construction for $121,900.

Future plans for the site have not yet been determined.

Last meeting

Dec. 16 was the last council meeting for councilmen Tom Bahls and Jose Vargas, both of whom did not seek re-election. Both men took a moment at the end of the meeting to share their final thoughts.

Vargas thanked the mayor, city staff and his fellow council members for all of their work together and putting the city first.

“... the most important thing, thank you to all the people who elected me to represent them. Their trust meant a lot to me,” Vargas said.

Bahls said while the work on council was not always easy or popular, he always worked to weigh short-term concerns against the long-term outcomes in the name of progress.

“Serving this community has been an honor. As I step away from my role on city council, I do so with deep gratitude to the trust placed in me by the people I was elected to serve, and the dedication and work of our city employees who are responsible for implementing many of the ideas and directions that council decided upon,” Bahls said, adding he was grateful to have played a role in the story of Osceola.

Vargas was appointed to fill an at-large vacancy March 2023 and re-elected that fall. Bahls was appointed to fill a Ward Three vacancy June 2020 and re-elected in 2021.