Avera St. Mary’s Says Farewell to School of Nursing Building 

Avera St. Mary’s Hospital in Pierre, SD, announces plans to raze, or tear down, the School of Nursing building on the southeast corner of the campus. The former hospital building, known as the South Building, and the skywalk will remain intact. 

The facility served a vital role in the Pierre community for many years. Built in 1951, the School of Practical Nursing was the first building in the nation specifically designed for practical nurse education. It included dormitories and classrooms for students who preferred to attend a small school rather than large schools in neighboring states. Many nurses completed their training in Pierre until the school closed in 1985. 

Eventually the School of Nursing building transitioned to house several grant-funded programs, the St. Mary’s Foundation and Avera@Home staff. Shortly after the Helmsley Center project was announced, remaining staff were relocated to other areas of campus. The building has sat vacant since the fall of 2017. 

“This initiative has long been identified as a need during master campus planning discussions. The building has significant structural and maintenance issues and maintaining the building has not been cost-effective or a practical option,” said Shantel Krebs, Regional President and CEO of Avera St. Mary’s Hospital. “While there are no current plans for the lot, razing the building will provide options for future expansion and growth needs.”

Before demolition, the cross hanging above the main entrance, the two corner stones, the original mailbox and some additional heritage items will be saved and maintained. Construction activity will begin as early as next week as fences are put up and dumpsters arrive to empty the building before it is demolished. There are no planned road closures, and this will not impact patient care or staff.   

A short tribute to the building is planned for Monday, Feb. 24 at noon outside the front entrance of the facility. The public is invited to attend. 

“The Benedictine and Presentation Sisters as well as Avera St. Mary’s Hospital have always been passionate supporters of and active participants in training future health care professionals. The School of Nursing building is a testament to the value placed on education,” Krebs said. “Rest assured, we will continue to invest in and explore new opportunities for workforce pipeline building, nursing education and other avenues to explore health care careers in central South Dakota.”