Dec 7, 2017 —Press Releases

BLACKFOOT, ID – December 7, 2017 – On Tuesday, December 5, 2017, at the Blackfoot City Council meeting, the City Council voted 4-0 to approve the sale of the two local water towers to Bingham Memorial Hospital (BMH).

“The Blackfoot water towers are iconic landmarks that mean a great deal to people of Blackfoot,” says Jake Erickson, CEO of BMH. “The public outcries about the potential to have the water towers demolished this past summer got my attention. I knew immediately there was something we could do to turn this into a positive situation for the community.”

BMH commissioned a structural analysis by the firm Harper Leavitt Engineering (HLE). HLE determined that the water towers are currently structurally sound and not at risk of structural failure. In addition, because Blackfoot is in a high-desert environment with low humidity and a noncorrosive atmosphere, the towers will continue to safely serve as historical landmarks for many years to come.

BMH does not plan to make any aesthetic changes to the towers until after the winter. However, BMH is planning to seek public input through a community-wide collaboration.

“Because of its proximity to our hospital campus, we plan to paint the north tower green and refresh the wording to say, ‘Welcome to the City of Blackfoot,’ on one side and ‘Welcome to Bingham Memorial Hospital’ on the side that faces the hospital campus,” explained Mr. Erickson. “For the large, south tower, we want the community to help us decide how it should look.”

In the New Year, BMH will launch a website where the public can submit their ideas. After the submission period, a panel will help narrow the ideas down to two to three choices. These choices will then be shown to the public for a final decision.

“This is a great opportunity for our community to come together and create something really amazing,” says Mr. Erickson. “Blackfoot is the headquarters for Bingham Healthcare and this community has supported our growth throughout the years. We believe Blackfoot is a great place to live, work, and play just like we know that Blackfoot is a place for world-class healthcare. And we believe that with the community’s help we can create a world-famous landmark for travelers to enjoy from all over the world.”

More details will be given as they become available.