DeKALB – St. Mary’s Hospital has been a historic building in DeKalb as it reaches its 104th year of existence. After its closure in 1965, however, there has been a long debate on its future.
Now, after nearly 60 years and many delays, the building’s development is seeing new updates.
During the DeKalb Planning and Zoning Commission City Council meeting on Jan. 5, Jon Sauser, who does business with Fisk DeKalb LLC, presented his final draft to turn the former hospital into an apartment complex consisting of 32 units.
The complex will include a patio, lounge area and exercise room for tenants. The project was originally approved in 2022 but construction never started. There were no major updates on the project until now.
After the hospital closed, the building operated as a girls’ school dormitory and the DeKalb school administrative offices, but has been abandoned since 1992. The City Council kept the plan under consideration until it was revised and waited several years for an update.
Sauser presented the new plans with added detail to ensure there are no delays with the project’s approval. The panel unanimously approved the plan along with approval from the City Council.
The plan is set to begin construction this spring. The project is anticipated to be completed in 2027.
