New life for old building
Photo by Josh McDonald The East Shoshone Hospital building in Silverton will soon be known as the WindRiver Center. Work on the building has already begun, but the project is welcoming any and all volunteers.
SILVERTON — For nearly two decades, the East Shoshone Hospital has sat vacant save for a few unsuccessful attempts to bring life back into it.
But it appears that is set to change as the building has been recently donated to the Christian Life Center (CLC), which has plans to turn the building into a community center.
Many residents may have noticed a large flyer in their mail a few weeks ago promoting the church’s plans for the building.
“This all came from a heart to help the community,” CLC pastor Carey Schram said.
The 24,000-square-foot building has potential to be anything the church can make it into, and after the favor they have received in getting the building, Schram sees big things on the horizon.
“I had been walking by the building for a while and one morning in March of last year, I was walking by and the Holy Spirit told me to go inside the hospital building. I said no, but each morning on my walk it was the same thing, until I finally listened and got the key (Schram is a licensed real estate agent) and went in,” Schram said. “I sent an email to the Realtor asking if the seller had any interest in trading buildings and they responded by telling us that they were exploring the option to a 501(c)(3) (non-profit).”
That was great news for Schram, but they were second on the list until she received a phone call saying they had gotten it. All they needed to do then was pay the closing costs, which ended up being $47,000 for a 24,000-square-foot building.
The center will be called “WindRiver Center” and CLC are looking for any help that they can get to maintain their schedule of getting the building renovated and opened to the public.
“The plan for this building includes two large meeting rooms, a sit-down coffee shop, and space for a brand-new daycare center with after-school programs focused on creativity,” Schram said.
The project has been phased out into three parts and Phase I includes a new roof, electrical wiring, water, heat, sewer, and fire suppression system.
Once the foundational elements are intact, they will move on to constructing a large meeting area, coffee shop, offices, and the daycare center.
There are three specific ways that Schram is hoping people will get involved, through prayer, financially, and with volunteerism.
“The idea behind this big project is stirring hope and community up in the Silver Valley,” Schram said. “We want people to not be afraid to get involved. This isn’t a private endeavor, we want this to truly be a community project. This project is huge but we, as a community, can make it happen. We truly believe that The Silver Valley is worth the process of turning the WindRiver Center into a place we all love and enjoy.”
For more information or to get involved, contact Carey Schram at 208-660-7251. To make a donation, visit the Christian Life Center’s Facebook page and donate to the WindRiver GoFundMe account, or personal checks can be sent to P.O. Box 446, Silverton, ID 83867.