St. Joseph Riverside Hospital

St. Joseph Riverside Hospital in Warren, Ohio closed in 1996 after a merger and was demolished in 2023.

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History

Riverside Hospital was constructed in 1923-24 ¹⁵ and dedicated on April 12, 1924. ¹⁶ The complex was designed by Keich, O’Brien & Hosher of Warren, with Meyer J. Sturm serving as a consultant, and consisted of 50 beds. ¹⁵ It assumed the name St. Joseph Riverside Hospital after the Sisters of the Humility of Mary assumed ownership ⁶ in March 1925. ¹⁴

The hospital underwent expansion in 1942. ⁹ In 1970, the hospital grew again with the construction of an eastern wing, costing $2.8 million. ¹¹ This expansion facilitated the addition of 56 extra patient beds, an enlarged Emergency Department, and the relocation of the Family Retiring Room, Radiology, Outpatient Departments, and Medical Records Storage. Enhancements were made to two nursing units, the Business and Admitting offices, the Gift Shop, the Medical Staff Library and Conference Room, the Pharmacy, the Laboratory, and the Central Sterilizing Supply. The fourth floor saw the establishment of a new 24-bed Psychiatric Unit, while a 29-bed patient unit was repurposed for geriatric care. Additionally, the basement was prepared for storage purposes and designed to be convertible into a fallout shelter for patients and staff if necessary.

In 1977, St. Joseph’s revealed plans for a medical arts center costing $500,000, aimed at offering leased spaces to physicians’ offices and other health care service providers. ¹³ This single-story building, encompassing 14,000 square feet, was finished in 1978. An additional south wing was constructed in 1980. ^{2 6} On April 16, 1982, construction commenced on a new 1,500-square-foot CT Imaging Department, alongside an 800-square-foot space designated for future expansion of the Emergency Department. ¹² The completion of this project amounted to $300,000. A further expansion took place in 1994.

In 1995, HM Health Services was established by the Humility of Mary Health Care System, consolidating St. Joseph, St. Elizabeth, and various home-care services into a single organization and renaming St. Joseph Riverside Hospital to St. Joseph Health Center. The following year, after acquiring Warren General Hospital, ⁶ HM Health Services closed the Riverside facility. ^{4 5}

In 2003, Tom and Jim Dobson purchased the building, renaming it Riverside Square and transforming the first two floors into office spaces for different organizations, including the Trumbull County Republican Party, Safe House, a commercial laundry, and a private school. ^{5 7} An adjacent building was also sold to the Veterans Administration for an outpatient clinic. Following a city mandate to replace the outdated and malfunctioning alarm system, the Dobsons filed for bankruptcy. ⁷ Consequently, a court-appointed trustee ordered the evacuation of Riverside Square by October 2008. ⁵

Slavo Stefanovic, representing the Euro-American Financial Network from Leesburg, Florida, acquired Riverside Square in January 2010. However, Stefanovic neglected the property, leaving it exposed to the elements. ¹ In April 2013, the state initiated legal action against Stefanovic for his negligence, aiming to compel the demolition of the deteriorating site. In 2014, due to accumulated unpaid taxes amounting to $156,000, the initiation of foreclosure proceedings occurred alongside efforts to seize assets. ¹⁰

The estimated cost of demolishing the site was projected at $5 million. ⁹ In 2015, the city secured a grant from a brownfield remediation coalition to perform an asbestos study, leading to the building being condemned within the same year. Following the lack of interest from buyers during two sheriff’s sales in 2019, the state ultimately assumed ownership of the property. ¹⁰

The Ohio Environmental Protection Agency funded a comprehensive two-phase environmental study in 2020 to update and expand upon the findings from 2015. ⁹ That same year, the Ohio Department of Development allocated $2.5 million to the city for asbestos mitigation under the stipulation that the city would also contribute by covering the demolition costs.

Ownership of the property was transferred to the Trumbull County Land Bank, which, in 2022, successfully obtained over $3.4 million in funding for demolishing the former hospital. ⁹ The process of removing asbestos from the site commenced in July. ⁸ Demolition began in December of that year and was completed by July 2023.

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Sources

1. “Attorney General DeWine; City of Warren File Suit for Demolition of Former Hospital Site.” Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine. N.p., 5 Apr. 2013. Web.
2. Lawson, Paul. “Memories of St. Joe’s construction crew.” Tribune Chronicle [Warren] 31 Aug. 2014: n.p. Web.
3. “Artist’s rendering of St. Joseph Riverside Hospital after proposed expansion.” Trumbull Memory Project 4 Nov. 2016: n.p. Web.
4. Office of Inspector General, Department of Health and Human Services. Hospital Closure: 1996. Report no. OEI-04-97-00110, Feb. 1998.
5. Runyan, Ed. “St. Joseph Hospital moved out in 1996.” Vindicator [Youngstown] 11 Sept. 2008: n.p. Web.
6. Cornerstone.
7. Runyan, Ed. “Leaders seek cure for blight at former hospital.” Vindicator [Youngstown] 9 Dec. 2012: n.p. Print.
8. Mosca, Zach. “Saint Joe’s demolition in Warren expected to be completed by end of July.” WFMJ 21, 5 Jul. 2023.
9. Vugrincic, Allie. “Demolition of former St. Joe’s hospital slated for spring.” Tribune Chronicle, 25 Feb. 2024.
10. Fox, Renee. “Former St. Joseph Riverside has been empty since the late ’90s.” Vindicator, 25 Feb. 2024.
11. “Hospital Report.” United Hospital Expansion Campaign, 1964.
12. St. Joseph Riverside Hospital, 4 June 1982.
13. “St. Joseph’s in Warren to Build $500,000 Medical Arts Center.” Vindicator, 24 Jan. 1977.
14. “Quick Quaker.” The Modern Hospital, Mar. 1925, p. 96.
15. “Ohio.” The Modern Hospital, Oct. 1923, p. 88.
16. “Ohio.” The Modern Hospital, May 1924 , p. 84.