A Dallas County judge ordered the former Tri-City Hospital into receivership Monday after city lawyers said the site had become a “horrible blight”
DALLAS — An abandoned hospital that became an attraction for Youtubers and thrill-seekers who explored its empty and graffitied halls could be demolished “within a year” after sitting derelict for decades, according to a court-appointed receiver who took charge of the property after a judge’s order Monday.
The Tri-City Hospital along Scyene Road in Southeast Dallas closed in 2002 and has become a “horrible blight” on the community, attorneys for the city of Dallas argued in a court filing.
The city argued the latest owner, Burchfield and Partners LLC, failed to secure the site and did not fix public health and safety violations since taking control of the property last summer.
In response, a judge put the property into receivership and appointed California Receivership Group (CRG) in charge of getting the property up to standard, subject to the court’s jurisdiction.
“We work fast,” said CRG President Mark Adams. “I expect we’ll have it demolished in less than a year.”
The hospital’s owner, Rod Burchfield, pledged Tuesday to work alongside Adams’ company to bring the site into compliance with city code.
“We’re hopeful that this action will help us move forward,” Burchfield told WFAA. “We respect the judge’s decision and will continue to work with the city.”
Burchfield said he plans to build a mixed-use development on the site.
Neighbors have long complained the site is an eyesore — and dangerous. The graffiti-covered property had a broken gate, unsecured windows and a rope hanging from the old ambulance receiving bay — a potential access point for people looking to break into the old building.
“It looks like a haunted house,” said nearby business owner James Beasley. “It looks like a place that has just been forgotten, and that’s really sad.”
In its legal filing, the city said the site remains “great fodder” for illegal activity, including shooting practice, fire-setting and “drinking with friends.”
“Thrill seekers risk their safety in the dangerous hollows of the vacant structures to experience the ‘haunted hospital,’ an infamy earned through decades of dilapidation and vacancy,” the city attorney wrote.
City Councilman Jaime Resendez said community members have repeatedly raised concerns about the site and his office worked with city staff on the matter.
“There needs to be a change and that’s what the goal is,” he said.
The court-order receivership represents progress, but Resendez the process isn’t over yet.
“There’s still more work that needs to be done,” Resendez said. “I’m cautiously optimistic.”
Adams said his first step will be to secure the fencing around the site and seek a quote to clean up the graffiti on the façade of the building.
“Just taking care of all those nuts and bolts things that make this a not-dangerous site for the community,” he said. “I didn’t expect it to be in this bad of a condition as it is right now.”
