JENNINGS, Mo. — A new $10 million healthcare facility is coming to Jennings. City leaders are in the process of handing over the deeds of an abandoned school and church in order to make room for the brand-new development.
As you pass by Jennings Station Road and Switzer Avenue, you're greeted with blight.
"It look bad and smell bad,” Carol Griffin said.
She lives at a senior living facility across the street from the former Corpus Christie school that has sat vacant for years.
"The red fox come through here, the wild chickens ... they live right there. They come out the door right back there,” Griffin said.
Griffin lives at the senior living facility next door. 5 On Your Side told her about a new healthcare facility that plans to move in, providing primary care, mental health and even addiction recovery services.
"That's something good that's worth having,” she said.
"We are excited to partner with Jennings and the county to provide these services in a community that desperately needs accessible healthcare, as well as to turn this building into a local rallying point and source of pride. We are currently finalizing details with all parties and look forward to sharing an official announcement soon,” a spokesperson for Preferred Family Healthcare said in a statement.
"It's a $10.4 million facility so this is a great, great investment in our city,” Mayor Gary Johnson said.
He said the deal moved forward after 5 On Your Side first reported on a major roadblock back in December. At the time, St. Louis County suddenly halted a program that allowed localities to purchase abandoned properties from the county. The properties had to be behind on tax payments.
A couple of months after the report, Johnson said the county did a 180, allowing Jennings to move forward with purchases, including the former school and church that's now being handed over to the health group.
"They will begin stabilizing and (demolishing) the property and we should see something within the next year,” Johnson said.
"It should've been torn down,” Griffin said.
Johnson said the new project will bring in some 30 new jobs. He said he hopes to see demolition begin in the weeks ahead.