Berrien County leaders are beginning to think about what they might do with an old hospital building that’s likely to come under the county’s control soon.

Berrien County Commissioner Bob Harrison tells us the Berrien General Hospital building in Berrien Center is located on property sold by the county to the former Lakeland Hospital in the 1990s. In recent years, the building’s been used as the home of Sacred Heart Rehabilitation Center, but Corewell Health is now moving Sacred Heart to a new facility, and the deed requires that the land be given back to the county. ‘

Harrison says he and colleagues will likely have to come up with a plan for the former hospital.

“So my suggestion was that commissioners who’ve not been down there go and take a walking tour of the buildings, because there’s multiple buildings,  so they understand what the potential or non-potential might be,” Harrisons said.

Harrison says the hospital is located adjacent to current county properties, including the juvenile center and Love Creek County Park. He also notes the hospital and juvenile center share a water and sewer system, creating shared infrastructure issues.

Harrison is inviting commissioners to tour the old hospital. Board of Commissioners Chair Mac Elliott jokingly suggested Thursday the building could be rented to film productions, something Harrison tells us several people have suggested, although he doubts anything like that will happen.