The city of Bridgeport signed papers Friday to purchase the Heritage of Bridgeport nursing home from Vetter Health Services for $850,000.

Mayor Jack Berg says the council felt it needed to act after Vetter announced several months ago it would either sell or close the nursing by August because it wasn’t financially feasible to meet a federal regulation to add fire sprinklers.  Berg says the purchase does call for Vetter to install fire sprinklers as part of the sale.

The city is contracting with Rural Health Development to manage the nursing home beginning on Monday. Mayor Berg says the company has done a good job managing other facilities and the council is confident it will be successful in Bridgeport.