Editing Southwestern Michigan Tuberculosis Sanatorium

Built in 1954 and a cost of 2.5 million dollars, the Southwestern Michigan Tuberculosis Sanatorium opened as a 200 bed, 4 story, 24,000 sq. ft. medical tuberculosis sanatorium on Kalamzaoo's northwest side.  In 1965 all mental health patients with tuberculosis in the area were also transferred to the facility.  By 1969 treatment of TB had gotten to the point the state decided that the facility was no longer needed and the process of closing this facility began.  From 1969-1970 the facility was converted to take on psychiatric patients as several patients without TB, having few medical needs, but needing long term support that they could not get in the community at the time. In 1990 the patient count for even mental health cases got so low, it was decided to close the facility for good.  Since that time several offers have been made to reuse the facility, but all have fallen through leaving the facility empty at this time.