Old Baptist Hospital has new owner with plans for apartments 

A private developer has purchased the former Baptist Hospital on Riverview Avenue and plans to renovate it into affordable apartments. 

The old Selma hospital has been purchased by Gabriela Apartments out of San Francisco that is applying for an Environmental Protection Agency brownfield grant to clean up the site for redevelopment. 

Gabriela leaders held a public information meeting at the Selma Dallas County Public Library on Nov. 3 to get input from the public and share the status of the Old Baptist Hospital project that, when redeveloped, would provide more housing to the area with a possible riverfront view. 

Greg Stover, senior geologist and project manager of PPM Environmental Consultants out of Spanish Fort, is heading up the cleanup project for Gabriela and is familiar with Selma. They’re also working a project at Craig Industrial Park. 

PPM will remove any hazardous materials or contaminated soil on the property, but he said they are in a race against time because the building is deteriorating. The old Baptist Hospital building has holes in the roof which let in rain, and it is getting worse. That makes removal of asbestos and other hazardous materials challenging and drives up the costs, he said. They are trying to keep the cost within the limits of the grant. 

Stover said if the grant is awarded, it will be in May. Then planning could begin in spring or summer. With actual work beginning in a year and a half or two years. 

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Stover said the decision to demolish the entire building or parts and build a new structure may be entertained to completely remove any hazardous material. 

In public comments, one audience member expressed concern about the owner being an out-of-town company. 

“Selma has had mixed results with out-of-town companies,” the member said. 

Another audience member asked if any tarping or stabilization could happen immediately to help preserve the building. Stover said PPM is only paid for the environmental work, not stabilization. 

Stover said the third floor is not in good shape and the basement has water in it, so there is question as to how much can be saved. But Stover said by the end of next summer or into the fall, they will have done most of their work and a report will be generated. Then the future direction can be better determined. 

The audience supported the idea of renovation, especially with its riverfront location. She even suggested that the other dilapidated houses across from the Old Baptist Hospital building, which hold no historic significance, could be purchased for a reasonable price and demolished to leave a beautiful view of the Alabama River. Stover pointed out that his company has worked on similar projects that seeded the area and led to further development.