Once a bustling healthcare facility, the St. Joseph Riverside Hospital in Warren, Ohio, has been reduced to a desolate shell, ravaged by scrap metal scavengers, water damage, and fire. Initially, the hospital complex comprised two buildings and a power plant and underwent expansions in 1970 and 1980 to accommodate growing needs. In 1996, St. Joseph Riverside merged with Warren General Hospital, leading to its eventual closure.
Following its closure, the first and second floors found temporary life, repurposed for various businesses and non-profit organizations. This brief revival ended in October 2008, when the occupants were forced to vacate amid bankruptcy proceedings. Since then, the structure has severely deteriorated, a process hastened by the neglect of an absentee owner residing in Florida.
The situation escalated significantly by 2013, prompting Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine to take legal action. Representing the interests of the city and backed by Warren Deputy Health Commissioner Robert Pinti, DeWine filed a lawsuit against the Euro-American Financial Network. The lawsuit aimed to mandate the demolition of the dilapidated structure and secure compensation for the city to cover the demolition costs.
Despite these efforts, as of 2016, the St. Joseph Riverside Hospital building remains standing, a stark reminder of its former self and the complex challenges of managing post-industrial decay.
