After shuttering in 2021, a century-old medical institution in New Kensington has fallen into disrepair, attracted alleged criminal activity and become a nuisance to the city.
Since Sunday, eight people have been arrested, charged with trying to steal copper wire from the former Citizens General Hospital, police said.
New Kensington City Clerk John Zavadak said trespassing has become a recent issue, but work to secure the building by boarding up entry points and to mow the overgrown greenery could be on the horizon after a Tuesday meeting with a representative from Florida-based Resolution Property Group, which owns the building.
Though Zavadak said he believes the company sincerely wants to better the site’s safety and appearance, it has a history of dodging city pleas to fix up the place.
Last year, the city levied a $7,400 fine against the company, which it still hasn’t paid, according to city Code Enforcement Officer Christian Lecocq. It also has cited the company nearly 30 times in the past year, five of which were in the past few weeks, Lecocq said.
“We’re hoping to work with them to secure it so it’s not as much of a risk,” Lecocq said.
TribLive’s attempts to reach the property owner were unsuccessful.
Copper wire craze
All eight people arrested at the site this week face felony charges of burglary and criminal trespassing as well as related misdemeanor charges. Some face felony conspiracy charges, as well.
On Sunday, police arrested Samantha Cragle of Pittsburgh, Anthony Paolillo of Mt. Oliver and Howard Morris of Braddock.
Monday, they arrested Trace Jackson of Pittsburgh, Brittany Baits of Millvale and Benjamin Walker of Bethel Park.
Police said they found Jackson and Baits with flashlights, wire cutters, a hand saw and other tools. The pair said they were exploring the building and “smoking meth,” court papers state.
According to a criminal complaint, Baits had about 10 pounds, or about $62 worth, of copper wire on her, and Jackson had 2 pounds, about $12 worth.
Police also recovered 15 pounds, equaling about $100 worth, of copper wire from the area where they arrested Walker.
On Tuesday, police did room sweeps with a police dog, according to a criminal complaint.
The dog located Gerad Ogershok of West Deer and Steven Yagle of New Kensington.
Police say they found tools, drug paraphernalia and a pellet gun in the room where Ogershok and Yagle were found.
All were denied bond, except for Morris, who still is awaiting preliminary arraignment.
An underground tunnel, which connects the site’s boiler room to the main hospital location, is one of many entrances to the building, Zavadak said.
The doors have since been locked, but Zavadak said there could still be ways for people to get into the roughly 90,000-square-foot building, including through roof openings.
“There’s entrances everywhere,” Zavadak said. “Once you get in there, it’s like a mouse trap.”
New Kensington police Chief Robert Deringer did not respond to a request for comment.
What’s in store for the corner of Fourth Avenue and Seventh Street?
The slew of arrests was an eye opener for the city, spurring the talks between it and the property owners.
“We didn’t know (trespassing) was that big of a problem until they caught somebody,” Zavadak said.
New Kensington Mayor Tom Guzzo said the city has made it clear to the owners they need to secure the building and better tend to its upkeep.
“They have assured us that they will comply,” Guzzo said. “It is imperative from a public safety perspective that no unauthorized people be able to enter. Our police officers have done an excellent job with the situation.”
Zavadak said the city would like to help form long-term plans for the site, though it might need to be demolished to be turned into something new, costly as that might be.
He said officials would also explore finding a developer for the site.
It then operated as an ambulatory care center that offered walk-in services until it closed in 2021. The Citizens School of Nursing also operated from the former hospital for a time before eventually moving to the Pittsburgh Mills mall in Frazer.
“When the hospital was here, it was the largest employer in the city,” Zavadak said.
When Resolution Property Group bought it, it intended to turn the property into a hostel-like facility and put electric vehicle chargers on the site, Zavadak said.
Those plans never came to fruition.
Still, Zavadak said, the property could be a prime location in the city.
“With the building gone, it’s a very marketable piece of property,” he said.