Former East Ohio Regional Hospital Set for Sept. 2 Auction
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MARTINS FERRY -- The former East Ohio Regional Hospital property will go to public auction Sept. 2, marking the latest chapter in the long-running saga of the once-busy medical campus.
Belmont County Common Pleas Judge Chris Berhalter ordered the sale in April as part of a tax foreclosure action. The property at 90 N. Fourth St. carries approximately $2.1 million in delinquent real estate taxes that must be paid by the successful bidder.
Mayor John Davies said city officials remain hopeful the property will once again serve as a medical facility but acknowledged its future ultimately rests with the new owner.
“We are hoping somebody buys it. It would be nice to have another medical facility there,” Davies said. “But pretty much whoever buys it can do whatever they want with it.”
City leaders have repeatedly expressed their desire to see the campus return to its original purpose. East Ohio Regional Hospital had been the only hospital between Trinity Health System, now part of UPMC, and WVU Medicine Wheeling Hospital, serving residents throughout Martins Ferry and the surrounding Ohio Valley.
Since the hospital’s closure in 2025, both major regional health systems have expanded their presence, with WVU Medicine investing heavily in its Wheeling and Weirton hospitals and is planning a $50 million hospital in St. Clairsville. Trinity Health Systems opened The Neighborhood Hospital in St. Clairsville last summer. Martins Ferry officials remain hopeful a similar investment will one day be made in their city, breathing new life into the former East Ohio Regional Hospital campus and restoring local medical services.
The property has experienced a turbulent history in recent years, changing hands multiple times as various owners attempted to reopen the hospital. Belmont County ultimately filed for tax foreclosure in 2025 after years of unpaid property taxes, while competing leases, bankruptcy proceedings and multiple legal disputes -- including alleged unpaid wages for EORH employees -- delayed the sale.
The vacant complex also has become a frequent target for thefts and break-ins since closing. Martins Ferry Police Chief Vince West recently told the city council that three more arrests were made at property last week.
Police have made multiple arrests at the site in recent months involving alleged copper thefts, trespassing and vandalism. Authorities have said suspects have repeatedly entered the sprawling building to strip wiring and other materials, while officers also have found evidence people had been staying inside the vacant hospital.
The Belmont County Sheriff’s Office will conduct the Sept. 2 auction. Under Ohio law, the successful bidder must make a 10% down payment at the time of the sale and pay the remaining balance, including the delinquent taxes, within 30 days.