County accepts Life Care building

Hamilton County commissioners voted unanimously Wednesday to accept the donation of a recently closed $5.9 million nursing home.

Commissioners almost voted last week to accept the former Life Care Centers of America building but delayed the vote a week to wait for a guarantee title.

County Mayor Claude Ramsey said Wednesday that title still was not available for the building, at 455 N. Highland Park Ave., but he urged commissioners to accept the donation.

"My recommendation would be to go ahead," he said. "I'll take the responsibility to see that the release is in place."

Life Care Center of Chattanooga's building closed about two months ago after a state report that cited it for a number of violations.

Commissioner Jim Coppinger asked what Mr. Ramsey's plans were for the $5.9 million building, which has 57,000 square feet.

Mr. Ramsey said the building keeps the county from having to pay more than $1 million to repair the Mayfield Annex downtown, which houses several departments. "That is a considerable amount of relief," he said.

The Mayfield annex likely will be torn down and various county departments reconfigured, Mr. Ramsey said.

The county has agreed to pay this year's city and county property tax on the building. The commission likely will vote next week on paying that tax, which amounts to about $77,000, Mr. Ramsey said.

IN OTHER BUSINESS

The commission voted unanimously to increase its contract by about 1.5 percent with Corrections Corporation of America, the company that runs Silverdale Correction Facility. County Mayor Claude Ramsey said officials negotiated the increase down from an initial CCA request of about 3 percent.