It's been months since Franciscan Health closed the former St. Margaret Hospital. Now, Franciscan Alliance has given away some of its land in downtown Hammond.
The organization says it's donated part of a parking lot on the north side of Clinton Street between State Line Road and Hohman Avenue to the Hammond Academy of Science and Technology charter school. In a statement, outgoing school principal Dr. Sean Egan says his 550 students currently don't have any athletic fields or outdoor space for gym classes. He says the donation will allow for future growth.
Mayor Tom McDermott Jr. has said in the past that he'd like to bring an emergency room back to Hammond, but not owning the former hospital site could pose a challenge.