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St. Mary's Health Center has hired a broker to sell its current site.

Meanwhile, construction of the future hospital is well under way on the west side of Jefferson City.

The center needs to re-purpose its current campus near downtown, so the Sansone Group of St. Louis will work with potential buyers to purchase and redevelop the site. Sansone Group has been in commercial real estate and development, including medical properties, for more than 50 years.

"We’re very committed to our current location being a thriving part of Jefferson City’s future," St. Mary’s President Brent VanConia said in making the announcement. "Its ideal location near downtown makes it an outstanding place for the right kind of development."

The Jefferson City Chamber of Commerce commissioned a study of St. Mary’s campus, which first opened in 1905, as part of a citywide redevelopment effort. Possible future property uses include a hotel and convention center, a parks and recreation multipurpose facility, an academic campus, retail space and loft apartments.

"You have to think there would be interest in this property as a possible site for Jefferson City’s new convention center," VanConia said, referring to the city’s recently announced plans to secure proposals for such a facility. "With nine acres and ample parking structures that can be retained in the future, the possibilities are numerous.

St. Mary's will be leaving its current campus by January 2015.

"We would hope that new construction on the site could start shortly thereafter," he said. "While we’re sad to leave after more than a century at this location, it’s also a tremendous opportunity for someone else to take advantage of this prominent location."