LORAIN, Ohio — City leaders are celebrating what they see as a turning point for a troubled property in central Lorain. The deed for the former St. Joseph’s Hospital site has been officially transferred to the Lorain County Land Bank.
It’s a step that will grant the city full access to begin long-sought remediation and demolition at the blighted property.
“It’s not a good look,” Terri Mickens said of the current conditions.
The Lorain neighbor and her daughter were both born at the former St. Joseph’s Hospital. She said her family was disappointed to lose access to neighborhood healthcare in the mid-1990s.
“My mother never drove, so lots of times when I had doctors' appointments or needed to go to the hospital, we would walk,” she said.
News 5 talked to another relative in 2024, who shared similar concerns.
At that time, the Lorain County Land Bank was recently awarded a combined $11.4 million from the Ohio Brownfield Remediation Program to remove debris and environmental hazards at Lorain’s former St. Joseph’s Hospital site and revitalize the former Stove Works industrial property.
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“[I’m] hoping and praying that something will go up, so that we can look back and say, ‘I remember it used to be St. Joe’s. But we have something that’s really nice there now,’” said neighbor Charlesetta Brown in 2024.
For all the hopes and prayers, neighbors like Mickens said little has changed at the site.
“The current state is very terrible. It’s dilapidated, it’s rundown, it’s not safe,” she said.
The hospital closed in 1997 and changed hands and purposes several times. The city halted demolition when it discovered that one owner had failed to pull the proper permits. When that owner defaulted on loans, it was acquired by another property owner in Florida.
In 2023, News 5 reported the city was seeking legal action to encourage the owner to clean up and secure the site.
RELATED: 'It’s a mess:' Lorain planning legal action over former St. Joseph's Hospital site
“We know it’s a mess. And it’s been something that we’ve been working on, I think, since I took office,” said Lorain Mayor Jack Bradley on Thursday.
The mayor explained the city has had little recourse to address the blighted property because it was privately owned. He said even simple maintenance and safety measures, like cutting the grass and installing a fence, were arduous tasks.
“You can’t go on private property without either the property owner’s permission or having control of the property,” Bradley said. “We finally have control of the property and now we can move forward.”
In early March, News 5 reported the Lorain City Council approved a deal with the property owner, agreeing to drop claims in exchange for transferring ownership to the land bank.
RELATED: Lorain says 'real progress' on the way for former St. Joseph's Hospital site
This week, that step was completed when the deed was transferred and recorded.
“This is a milestone. It’s not just celebrating a transfer of a deed. Those things happen all the time. It’s just a celebration of what it means,” said Lorain City Safety Director Rey Carrion.
He explained that despite a perception that nothing was happening at the site, work had been ongoing for years.
“Every single week, there has been some form or fashion of work related to St. Joe’s,” Carrion said. “This is a testament of not giving up.”
“We understood from the community’s perspective that it didn’t appear that anything was happening,” added Kate Golden, the Stormwater Manager for Lorain’s engineering department.
Golden said the city planned to have its first meeting with consultants on Friday and expected asbestos abatement within the next two weeks. Demolition of the former parking garage would be the likely next step.
The goal is eventual redevelopment of the site, though there are no specific plans. City leaders touted the property’s central location and its importance as a gateway to other parts of the city.
“I was born at this hospital. I know what this hospital meant to the community and I know what it means now to have it cleaned up,” said Bradley. “It’s going to mean so much to have a shovel-ready site in the city of Lorain.”
Neighbors said they hope change is imminent and meaningful.
“Anything would be an improvement. But I think the major thing is safety,” said Mickens.
Catherine Ross is the Lorain County reporter at News 5 Cleveland. Follow her on X @CatherineRossTV, on Facebook CatherineRossTV or email her at Catherine.Ross@wews.com.
