ST. CLAIRSVILLE –Belmont County commissioners are crossing their fingers for a bright future for East Ohio Regional Hospital in Martins Ferry.

Closed in March, it was announced Monday that 360 Healthcare Inc. purchased the hospital and that company President Harold Ramsey has launched efforts to reopen it in the fall.

Commissioner Jerry Echemann said he is cautiously optimistic due to the recent history of the facility.

“It’s been through some ups and downs, some challenges, but there’s a new leadership team in place that really feel that they have a pretty solid plan in terms of how they’re going to address some of the past challenges the facility has and make them successful in the county,” he said. “For a project like this, the county doesn’t typically have, doesn’t assist in a way of incentives or anything of that nature, but definitely can be there to provide some guidance or answer questions for the local and state level.”

Commissioner J.P. Dutton added that the board is more than willing to assist the new buyer in any way it can.

Echemann added that the plan is for 360 Healthcare Inc. to reopen as soon as this fall, which he said is sooner than he would’ve thought.

“The timetable seems kind of aggressive, which I guess is good if they can get in there cleaning it up, get it all done. I wish them well, and if our board can help in any way, you know, obviously we will,” he said. “Hopefully they’ll be successful in Belmont County,”

Commissioner Vince Gianangeli echoed Echemann’s remarks, adding that with EORH being reopened the county will be completely covered.

“It’s great to see some additional tax revenue coming into the Martins Ferry area. As you know, they just got hit pretty hard, both with the RIFs at the school and then closing of East Ohio,” Gianangeli said. “Now the county will be covered. We got the WVU Medicine out west in Barnesville, we got Trinity here in St. Clairsville, and now we’ll have a private company along the river.”

Speaking of schools in the area, he then discussed St. John Central Academy’s recent announcement that it was closing. The school’s board of directors announced on its social media that financial hardship led to the decision earlier this week.

Gianangeli said he graduated from its predecessor, St. John Central High School, and was heavily involved with both the opening and closing of the academy as a board member.

He also served as the school’s fiscal manager, and formerly served as its principal. Gianangeli said he recently spoke to both the Diocese of Steubenville and Bellaire Local School District to see if either would be interested in purchasing the school building. He said Bellaire schools did express interest, but no deal has been made.

“We were at St John’s Central Academy for six years. We had a private donor that gave us $4 million, and he decided not to fund the school again for a seventh year. Without finding additional donors, then we’re not able to keep it open,” Gianangeli said. “We did have a couple parents express an interest and desire to open the school, so the board made them an offer, but they had to find their own donors and were not able to secure donors.”

He added that he recently gave Bellaire schools $60,000 worth of science equipment that he purchased only two years ago for the science department at the academy due to the school closing its doors for good.