The Mount Pleasant Mental Health Institute (MHI)in Henry County, IA, is the oldest mental health institution in the state and served the community fom 1861-2016. The facility was an inpatient treatment facility that provided adult psychiatric and substance abuse care to a fifteen-county area. The closing of the Mount Pleasant MHI provided the State of Iowa several existing facilities suitable for reuse. In 2016, the Iowa Economic Development Authority (IEDA) initiated the development of a reuse plan in to offset the capitalize on the available facilities and offset the closure’s impact on the community.
The Mount Pleasant, Iowa, Mental Health Institute Reuse Plan provides a framework and pathway forward for the efficient redevelopment of the MHI facilities. Successful redevelopment depends on several factors:
- Analysis of existing conditions and environmental factors
- Market capacity to support job and revenue-generating uses
- Infrastructure supply and demand
- Deliberate and inclusive community input from the public and city leaders
Matrix conducted a comprehensive facility analysis to develop a reuse plan that presented several alternatives based on the size and condition of the facilities. Recommendations included a dedicated social services center that takes advantage of infrastructure already present at the site. Matrix also conducted the cost analysis for renovating the site and adjacent parcels.
