PENDLETON, OR — A community group in Pendleton is considering the future of a shuttered state mental hospital and has narrowed the options to three. Many in the group preferred razing the former Blue Mountain Recovery Center and preparing the land for future industrial development. Other options included converting it to a call center or treating mentally ill inmates transitioning back to society. But the building has high operating costs and needs refurbishment.
State lawmakers directed the community to come up with a plan for the site after lawmakers cut off funding. The 60-bed hospital had been marked for closure for years but survived several last-minute reprieves before finally shutting its doors in March. Patients were sent to other state facilities and 120 employees lost their jobs.
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