Healthcare in Atlanta comes full circle

The Atlanta City Council held an emergency meeting last Friday afternoon to discuss and sign contracts that will finalize a deal for the new location of the Genesis Prime Care – Ellington Clinic.

Previously, the clinic had purchased property between the Northeast Texas Property Management building and the sawmill on Highway 77. However, problems arose with the infrastructure for that location and Mayor James Brooks contacted GPC officials to propose a new deal for them to consider.

With Mayor Brooks negotiating, the current owners of Brooks Hospital at the corner of Miller and Louise Streets, have donated the property back to the City of Atlanta for the purpose of building the new clinic. The city will be responsible for the asbestos abatement and demolition of the old hospital so that a blank slate can be delivered to GPC.

Mayor Brooks discussed his ideas with the city council and the Atlanta Economic Development Corporation, with positive and enthusiastic responses. The AEDC will offer up a $500,000 budget from their account to fund the project.

“I think it’s a win-win,” remarked Councilman Kevin Sherman. “I tried to look at any of the negatives, and there really aren’t any. It’s good for accessibility, and it’s going to remove an eyesore, so it will kill two birds with one stone. The location is better than the previous location they were planning to build on. I think Brooks hospital is an excellent location. It was a great call. “James called me one day and asked me how I thought everyone would feel about it. I told him I was on board, and I gave him my support.” Sherman continued. “I think we have a good plan. Atlanta has so much opportunity, we’ve got to start getting rid of some of these dilapidated buildings. I’m excited about it.”

Proper asbestos abatement is a federally regulated process, with only a few certified companies in Texas available. The process involves safely removing or containing asbestos containing building materials (ACBM) to prevent the release of harmful fibers.

Asbestos was used from the early 1940s through the 1970s as highly effective and inexpensive fire-retardant material. These fibers can cause lung cancer and mesotheliomas. Contractors were still using asbestos products until the early 1980s, including popcorn ceilings, floor tiles and insulation.

During the abatement process a qualified professional tests material to determine if they contain asbestos and a containment area is set up with plastic sheeting and placed under negative pressure to ensure air is drawn inward, not outward.

Trained workers, wearing full personal protective equipment (PPE) like respirators and coveralls, perform either the removal or encapsulation using specialized tools and wet methods to minimize dust.

The work area is thoroughly cleaned using vacuums to remove any residual fibers and the air quality testing is conducted by professionals to ensure asbestos levels are below safe limits before the containment area is dismantled.

The abatement process involves three levels that require a state inspector, a consultant and a contractor. Three bids for the project came in with two of those bids taking care of both the abatement and demo.

The lowest bid for the asbestos abatement went to contractor Air Quality Associates, Inc. with ERI Consulting being the consultant. The lowest bid for demo was John Hathcock Construction who was named the winning bid.

Both measures were unanimous votes by council members to award the bids and get the job done. The numbers aligned and stayed under budget.

“I think it’s neat that it has come full circle. There is so much history on that corner,” said Councilman Brian Cloninger. “Working at the funeral home, I have to get vital statistics, and one of the questions is ‘where were you born?’ So many times, the answer is Brooks Hospital. So, for that to sit idle for so long, then provide healthcare right in town for everybody, that’s pretty neat.

“It’s the mayor’s idea, he thought of it, and he’s made it happen - it’s come full circle,” Cloninger continued. “That same corner that took care of people for so long will be taking care of people again. That’s pretty neat.”

Those present for the meeting were Atlanta Mayor James Brooks, City Manager Danica Porter, District 2 Councilman Brian Cloninger, District 3 Councilman Randy Pennington, District 4 Councilman Larry Breashears, At Large Councilman Kevin Sherman and City Attorney Randal Lee. District 1 Councilman Chris Collins, Sr. was unable to attend.

Representing Genesis PrimeCare (East Texas Border Health) was CEO Carla Roadcap and Ray Delk, Director of Ancillary Services.

“This project is a win-win-win for our community. Additional job opportunities in the high-demand healthcare industry, while improving access to healthcare locally and getting rid of blight property to revitalize an area in the heart of Atlanta is a great thing,” said Cass County Judge Travis Ransom, also a member of the AEDC board.

The old Brooks Hospital is set to be scraped totally before Thanksgiving. Genesis PrimeCare is hoping to start work immediately after the site is cleared and hopes to be ready to open its new facility in December of 2026.

“It was a group effort that honestly makes my mayor heart full, seeing the people come together to get this thing done. It’s not just tearing down an old building, but it was replacing it with something that will serve the entire town,” Mayor James Brooks said. “The new GPC facility will be 21,100 square feet with 60 jobs at least and it will be right here in the heart of town.”

“We had a budget which was fortunate, and the Atlanta EDC helped out tremendously,” Mayor brooks added. “I know I’ve been hard on the AEDC, but this is their time to shine.”

Look for future articles concerning this exciting new chapter for Atlanta, including the history of Brooks Hospital and more details of this deal, next week.