Leader Staff
Contributed Photo Demolition of the former Shawano Medical Center began on April 4. Numerous groups received donations of furniture, fixtures and building materials. The demolition is expected to take until mid-June.
Thousands of dollars’ worth of furniture and building materials from the vacant Shawano Medical Center is finding new life in the community as various community groups and organizations repurpose the items.
Demolition of the old riverside hospital began on April 4, with ThedaCare throwing open the doors of the building to several Shawano-area governmental units and charities that were invited to remove and re-use furniture and fixtures.
The Shawano Police Department received a drying cabinet and six mobile file units with floor-mounted tracks from the former radiology department. The drying cabinet will be used for evidence that must be dried before it is stored.
“We’ll use both units in our evidence storage room to help alleviate our space constraints and stay organized,” Lt. Mike Musolff said. “As a small police department, it would have been very difficult to afford this equipment on our own.”
Shawano parks and recreation director Matt Hendricks estimates that his department received $15,000 to $18,000 worth of landscaping plants and fixtures from the old hospital.
Five mature shade trees were already removed and planted in Smalley Park. Sinks, urinals, toilets, ADA grab bars, towel dispensers, and baby changing stations will be used to remodel older park shelters next winter. Exterior pedestal lights will illuminate trails and parks. Ceiling tiles are slated for use in the remodel of the city recreation center.
“We were even given about 400 landscape pavers that we’ll turn around and use to rebuild the beach at Smalley Park, directly adjacent to the old hospital site. They will help us define the beach area and contain the sand,” Hendricks said. “All of these materials are gifts to the people of Shawano because they don’t have to be paid for by taxpayers.”
A number of nonprofits also reclaimed building materials.
According to Jerry Roloff, volunteer store manager for Wolf River Habitat for Humanity ReStore, volunteers hauled away four truckloads of work stations, cabinetry, bookshelves, ceiling tiles, and millwork to sell in their retail outlet.
Wendy Crawford of Leadership Shawano County had volunteers remove ceiling tiles, carpeting, mirrors, file cabinets and coat racks for use in the forthcoming Corporate Closet, a source of professional clothing for Shawano-area job seekers who need interview clothes. Her community volunteers are in the process of remodeling space adjacent to the Fellman Center near the Shawano Job Center.
Additional donations were made to the Shawano homeless shelter, Shawano County Sheriff’s Department, and a number of churches and schools.
ThedaCare officials said they intended to recycle 90 percent of the building, including copper pipes and wires, interior wooden doors, windows, bricks, kitchen equipment, and other building items.
“Repurposing materials is part of what we mean by recycling. It has been such a good feeling to see so many valuable parts of the old hospital carried forth for new uses in the community,” said John Gijsen, director of facilities management system locations for ThedaCare.
The new ThedaCare Medical Center-Shawano opened in September at 100 County Road B.
The Shawano Common Council approved the ThedaCare plan in March to demolish the old structure at ThedaCare’s expense after multiple redevelopment efforts for the existing building fell through.
Statewide Razing of Combined Locks is doing the demolition, which is expected to be wrapped by mid-June.