By BECKY KISER
Hays Post

The building at the corner of Fort and 13th Street in Hays is coming down.

It most recently served as the girls dormitory–Marian Hall–for residential students at TMP-Marian High School. Prior to that the building was the convent for the nuns serving the St. Joseph parish.

In the summer of 2014, the TMP-Marian Board of Directors recommended to the Heartland Parish leaders that Marian Hall be closed as a dormitory for the 2014-15 school year. According to TMP  Advancement Director Jeff Brull, the decision came after it was evident the building’s electrical system needed to be replaced. TMP has since changed to a host-family program for its all its student boarders.

As Bishop Edward Weisenburger said then, “it was built for little old lady nuns, not for young women using iPads and curling irons,” Brull added.

Asbestos was removed from the building before demolition began Thursday and continued Friday by Flatland Dirtworks, Hays.

“The St. Joseph Campus will certainly have a different look and perspective,” Fr. Fred Gatschet wrote in the fall quarterly newsletter of St. Joseph parish.

Parishioners, the Parish Council, and the Finance Council are also talking about what to do with the former Kennedy Middle School building. It was closed in May, 2012, and requires an estimated $300,000 in repairs in one year to keep it from falling into total disrepair according to Gatschet.