The former Cigna building, donated to Riverside Healthcare in June 2025 by its California-based owner, will not be rehabbed nor repurposed in its current condition.

Due to well-known water damage and mold issues following years of non-use, Riverside Healthcare determined the best course of action is simply to start over at the site.

Riverside said its plans for the site will be announced later this year.

Riverside officials, in a news release issued Friday, said the Bourbonnais building, along U.S. Route 45 at St. George Road, would be demolished as the first step to bringing the location back to use.

The cost of the demolition falls upon Riverside.

The Kankakee-based healthcare company, which is Kankakee County’s largest employer, determined that restoration costs were too high.

Riverside officials were unavailable for comment on Friday.

The organization received the property as a donation in mid 2025. Its plans for the site are in progress.

After extensive cleanup and evaluation, Riverside determined the building suffered significant water damage and mold from years of non-use. Though the façade remains intact, the cost of remediation made demolition the most practical option.

“We considered all the ways the building might be salvageable and repurposed for the community,” Riverside Healthcare president Phil Kambic said in a news release. “Ultimately, however, we determined the cost of remediation was too high. It is clear that removing the building makes the most sense.”

The 155,000-square-foot property at 4882 N. Convent St. has been largely vacant since 2015.

At the time of its donation to Riverside, the property had a 2024 value of more than $8.25 million.

The property had been the home for Cigna insurance from 2000 to 2015 and at one point had about 1,200 employees at the site.

Its then-ownership group, BHCP of Bourbonnais LLC, of Encino, California, an offshoot of Hager Pacific Properties of Encino, since 2006.

The company had marketed the property since Cigna announced its plans to pull out of the space.

The company had tried numerous ways to promote interest for the property, but was unsuccessful in finding a buyer.

There were many ideas within the public of what the property could ultimately be used for, but no one stepped forward seeking to purchase or at least lease a large portion of it.

Bourbonnais Mayor Jeff Keast supported the decision.

“Riverside Healthcare has always been a terrific partner with the village,” Keast said. “We see the time and care they took to evaluate this property from every angle.

“They sought input from us and a variety of experts to make a responsible determination. We look forward to partnering with them for what they come up with next,” Keast said.

Riverside Healthcare owns and operates more than 40 locations throughout Kankakee, Iroquois, Will and Grundy counties.