GREEN BAY, Wis. (WFRV) — Before demolition crews move in, first responders had a rare chance to train inside a vacant building on the HSHS St. Mary’s Hospital Medical Center campus.
The former nursing home facility on the west side of the campus will be torn down this month to make room for new parking and a main entrance as part of a $270 million expansion project.
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Plans call for a new inpatient tower with additional beds and a redesigned campus layout to improve accessibility for patients, visitors and staff.
“We want to be good community partners,” said Leah Bergstrom, Chief Administrative Officer at St. Mary’s. “It was a perfect opportunity to give first responders realistic training before the building comes down.”
This week, the Green Bay Metro Fire Department and Green Bay Police Department SWAT team have been using the facility for everything from firefighting drills to hostage rescue scenarios.
“One of the benefits in using this facility is that we can break windows and doors without worrying about property damage,” said Erik O’Brien, Acting Lieutenant with Green Bay Police. “That can be crucial in real-world situations.”
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Hospital Sisters Mission Outreach also collected unused medical equipment from the building — including wheelchairs, IV poles, and rehab gear — to distribute to hospitals and clinics in low-resource communities around the world.
Demolition is scheduled to begin later this month. Groundbreaking on the new patient tower is planned for summer 2026, with full completion expected in 2028.
