Gritman buys lot next door, Anselm House building

Gritman Medical Park LLC announced Thursday it has reached an agreement to buy 32,000 square feet of land adjacent to its hospital from Christ Church.

The land is bordered by Main, Jackson and Eighth streets in Moscow and will be used to construct a medical building that could house expanded offerings from Latah Community Health and other medical services.

Gritman will also buy another piece of property owned by the church - a two-story, 7,500-square-foot office building at 205 E. Fifth St., known as Anselm House, where the church offices are located. It's on the same block as the parking lot for the Gritman-owned Federal Building across Fifth Street to the north.

The transaction price was not disclosed.

"We made a commitment in 2004 to stay downtown, but we have been landlocked," said Kara Besst, Gritman CEO. This arrangement "allows us to continue to grow."

Christ Church will continue using the Fifth Street building through a two-year lease once it is transferred to Gritman at the end of this month.

This interim arrangement will allow the church ample time to relocate, and Gritman time to decide how to best use the building, Besst said.

Gritman Medical Park LLC, the for-profit building operating division of Gritman Medical Center, was among three developers vying for the location owned by the Moscow Urban Renewal Agency at the southwest corner of Sixth and Jackson streets. The agency board on Feb. 26 chose Sangria Development's concept for a restaurant and apartments instead, based on long-term plans for the area within the Legacy Crossing Urban Renewal District, according to the MURA board.

After the Sixth and Jackson deal fell through, this subsequent arrangement "came together very quickly," Besst said. "It's nice to keep that momentum going."

The concept for the new building was introduced to the public in a January meeting of residents working to establish a mental health recovery center in Moscow for Latah County residents. Gritman proposed a 39,000-square-foot, three-story building with space for Latah Community Health, medical and dental clinics, Gritman office space and other yet-unidentified uses. Only 22 parking stalls were proposed in the earlier plan.

The new Eighth Street site is only a short distance from Gritman Medical Center and existing medical services, which is what LCH, which serves mainly low-income patients, has wanted.

Among other medical services looking for more space in Moscow is Inland Northwest Blood Center, which is seeking space for blood collection. Besst said they also need space for cancer and pain clinics.

LCH's location in Moscow now has only about 3,000 square feet. It wants to add behavioral health, substance abuse and dental care to the existing list of care offerings. The regional provider rents from Gritman and prices its services based on clients' ability to pay. The plan for the Sixth and Jackson site would have provided the clinic with about 10,000 square feet of space.

Anselm House, built in the mid-1980s, hadn't been on Gritman's radar for a purchase, but they will see what might be the best use for it, she said.

The long-term goal of such acquisitions is to make sure Gritman can bring "much-needed services to the community," Besst said.

Christ Church will use the proceeds from the transactions to construct a church - a long-time plan for the local 800-member congregation, said Pastor Douglas Wilson. It has been using the Logos School gym on Baker Street for services.

They had planned to build on the Eighth and Jackson site, but Gritman representatives approached church officials with a "respectable offer," Wilson said.

Only conceptual drawings have been completed of a future church home, he said.

"This represents a change of course, not a change of plan," he said. "We're pursuing various options."

Anselm House is across Fifth Street from the Gritman-owned Federal Building, 220 E. Fifth St., which houses such tenants as the U.S. Post Office, several county offices and the Moscow-Pullman Daily News.

"We're glad they found a spot that suits them," said Gary Riedner, Moscow city supervisor and interim director of the MURA.

"We are delighted that after many years of planning and with the purchase of property from Christ Church we are able to take the next step in improving the health of people in our communities," said B.J. Swanson, Gritman's board chair, in a prepared statement.

Terri Harber can be reached at (208) 883-4631, or by email to tharber@dnews.com.