EDITORIALS : New life at St. Mary’s
Posted on Monday, October 13, 2008
There's good news out of Rogers: The Jones Trust of Springdale is taking over the old St. Mary's Hospital.
As we learned last week, the Sisters of Mercy are donating the 13-acre campus of St. Mary's to the Jones Trust, which will turn the place into a center for nonprofit organizations. Northwest Arkansas Community College and a women's shelter are among the organizations expected to move in when renovations are completed at St. Mary's, some time within the next four to six months.
Joel Carver, a Jones Trust trustee, said his organization's mission is "to support and encourage nonprofit organizations serving families and strengthening communities throughout northwest Arkansas. "Washington County has benefited from the Jones Trust's work in Springdale, so Rogers and Benton County should expect good results from this project.
Besides helping families, the renovation of St. Mary's will inject a profound sense of renewal into downtown Rogers. A downtown is a city's soul, so it's important to keep it thriving. The St. Mary's project will give people another reason to go downtown and, we hope, act as a kind of anchor there that will keep other businesses interested in sticking around.
There's no doubt about it: The Jones Trust's decision to invest here is one great thing about Benton County.
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