HOUSTON, Texas — A long-vacant landmark in the Third Ward will soon be reimagined.
The former Riverside General Hospital served generations of families before closing.
A new plan will bring it back as a public healthcare hub while preserving much of its past.
“I have a personal tie to Riverside General Hospital because, in 1954, Oliver Theresa Ellis gave birth to me in this very hospital,” said Harris County Commissioner Rodney Ellis during a Monday morning ceremony unveiling the restoration plan.
Ellis said brand new facilities will be built amid historic structures originally known as the Houston Negro Hospital.
"This was the only place people could go, people of color could go,” said 92-year-old resident Charlotte Kelly Bryant.
She said she remembers the old hospital and looks forward to having healthcare options return to the area nearly a decade after it was permanently closed and various additions were demolished.
"If you don’t take care of people, they’re not here long," said Bryant.
Millions of dollars in grants will help get the project off the ground.
But the county will be on the hook for more money down the road, along with any local, state and federal dollars.
“Third Ward is full of stark disparities," said Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee. "This is a bright light in the community."
Project completion is slated for 2025 if funding goes as planned.