In the newspaper game, editors and reporters should never, and I mean NEV-ER, assume anything. However, in this case, I am going to break the rule and assume the city has plans for the now-vacant Golden Living Center building.

Why else would tax dollars be used to purchase a 23,000+ square foot building with part of it being more than 40 years old? It doesn’t seem to be practical for city offices or a police department.

I took the tour Monday evening with the city council and city officials. It cleaned-up fairly well but there is much work to be done.

My wish for the city was to let the business “games” begin. Let it set on the real estate market for a few months and see if there are any takers. If not sold, then negotiate a price.

The county appraiser has the building and land appraised at more than $700,000. Buying it for $100,000 does seem like a steal. Unfortunately, it also means $700,000 being taken off the tax roll until such time the city sells/leases a portion or all of it to someone.

It was amazing to me the items left behind like this book that was a gift to a resident. I know this because it was written in the front flap. Decorative wall-hangings were eerily left in place as if the former tenants were going to return at any moment. There were bags of linens — towels, sheets, gowns.

And then there’s the deed restriction. I can understand a five-year restriction that prohibits another skilled nursing facility on the premises — but 25 years? My understanding is the deed was restricted because the company owns long-term care facilities in the area — Cottonwood Falls and El Dorado.

To me, it sounds like sour grapes. Has the company taken an attitude of “If we can’t make it in Marion, then we don’t want any other company making it on our property?” If this is their attitude, that is yet another reason why the nursing home probably failed.

Local employees worked hard to make the facility a success but it may have been pretty tough to adequately promote it and accommodate residents with management being so far away.

And speaking of management, public perception also may have sunk the nursing home business since the past six or so administrators in the past six or so years did not live in Marion. The condition of the building as a health care facility probably didn’t help.

Renovations surely could have helped but we know how that vicious circle works — the company needs money for improvements and it needs to make improvements to make more money and stay solvent but doesn’t have the money to make the improvements, and on and on.

In the end, I hope things work out for the best — for the city and the majority of its residents. After all, we’re paying for it.

— susan berg