County starts process to demolish old mental health center

"Everybody seems to want it to come down," says County Supervisor Tom Sieber.

Sieber plans to make that happen.

"(It's) just a matter of when is the best timing, what is the best price, and I think the time is now," he says.

The first step is to remove all of the hazardous materials. Brown County Facility Management Engineer Doug Marsh gave contractors bidding for that job a tour of the place Thursday.

"We've done just about all we can to try and sell the property and give the buildings a second life," says Marsh.

The center was first built in the 1930's, an addition was constructed 30 years later.

"Primarily the building was a mental health facility, psychiatric hospital," says Marsh.

But the complex has sat vacant since a new treatment center was built in 2009.

Marsh says, the old woodwork and dark hallways may look ominous, but nothing sinister has gone on at the complex.

"Nothing that I ever heard of, nothing that I'm aware of," says Marsh.

Dan Heinz has lived down the street from the center for 22 years. He says he's sad to see it go.

"Yeah, it's a nice piece of property, there's deer that in winter are over in the orchard out back," says Heinz.

Heinz says he's ok with the county getting rid of the complex if they make good use of the property. Right now, plans for the site include veterans apartments and possibly a tech park.

"If they had a tech park, that would be great, bringing in jobs," says Heinz.

Supervisor Sieber says, taking down the center is the first step.

"I think it's definitely going to provide a spark to continue what is happening in the area," he says.

If all goes according to plan, Supervisor Sieber hopes to have the complex torn down by the fall.