LORAIN, Ohio — Lorain leaders say cleanup will begin soon on a large nuisance property in the center of the city. The former St. Joseph’s Hospital site, including a partially demolished parking garage and piles of debris, has been entangled in a legal fight until recently.
“It’s kind of sad, honestly, looking at it every day. It’s just big piles of rubble, literally,” said Otis Sax, who lives across the street from the blighted property.
The neighbor said friends and coworkers have ties to the hospital, and many have been disappointed to see its current condition.
“This was a big hotspot until it fell into disrepair,” said Sax.
John Hitchens added, “It was a great place, once upon a time. Now I can’t even look at it.”
Hitchens manages a new daycare, New Generations, nearby and said he worries it’s discouraging would-be families from seeking services.
“As a parent, I’d look within the neighborhood, how the neighborhood looks, stuff like that,” he said. “I’m just praying and I’m hoping that it’ll get fixed soon.”
Now, city leaders say progress is within sight.
“It appears as though nothing has changed and nothing is happening. And while that is very, very far from the truth, we recognize that that’s the perception people have,” said Kate Golden, the stormwater manager for Lorain’s engineering department.
She explained that staff from multiple governmental agencies have been working continuously to secure access and remediate the site.
The hospital closed in 1997 and changed hands and purposes several times. The city halted demolition when it was 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.
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The case has been tied up in the courts for years.
In 2024, city leaders spoke to News 5 about a state grant awarded to the Lorain County Land Bank to help with cleanup and remediation.
RELATED: It's been an eyesore for years. Now, cleanup is coming.
Golden explained the legal battle prevented the city and land bank from accessing the site and using the awarded funds.
This week, the Lorain City Council approved a deal with the property owner, agreeing to drop claims in exchange for transferring ownership to the land bank.
“We’re just very thankful to be in a position to be moving this project forward so we can make some real progress on the site,” Golden said.
She said visible progress will likely begin as soon as the weather permits work to start. Then, a contractor already retained by the city will begin removing debris, abating asbestos and finishing demolition.
Eventually, the city plans to prime the site for commercial or mixed-use development.
Neighbors said they’re cautiously optimistic that demolition will continue and hopeful the site will be repurposed.
“Quite literally, at this point, anything,” said Sax. “If we could clean it up and make it an empty lot even, if it’s just grass, that would be healthier and nicer for Lorain.”
