By NANCY PIATT
Special to the Hays Post
Sunday will be a long-awaited day for Victoria. Following almost two years of planning, community meetings, fundraising events and grant writing, the official groundbreaking ceremony for St. John’s Place will happen.
The community and area dignitaries are invited to the event at 11:30 a.m. on site. Lunch will be served, tours conducted. and hard work celebrated.
The Victoria Community Coalition Board is especially excited to conduct the tours of the old nursing home to give visitors a view of all the demolition work that has been done by community volunteers.
The work includes removing old wiring, plumbing, metal and insulation as well as stripping sheet rock down to the main supports.
The debris removed has filled more than 12 dumpsters. Many items removed have been sold, including copper, good insulation, refrigerators and coolers, bathtubs and sinks. All of this has boosted the Victoria Community Coalition treasury.
Board members estimate the labor donated will save more than $140,000 in demolition costs.
Another accomplishment has been the removal of all the asbestos in the part of the building that is Phase 1: 12 independent senior apartments.
The first part of construction will be the replacement of the entire roof.
In addition to the apartment complex, another part of the project is the construction of a satellite site for the Ellis County Historical Society. Work on its portion of the roof has begun.