Former CMH property sells for $1.8 million in online auction
HICKSVILLE — The former Community Memorial Hospital (CMH) property in Hicksville was sold this week following a 48-hour online auction that ended with a last-minute surge in bidding, resulting in a final sale price of $1.8 million. The identity of the winning bidder has not yet been released.
The auction, conducted by Crexi (CXTTechnology LLC), drew little activity for much of its duration before escalating rapidly in the final two minutes. Hicksville Village had entered a reserve bid of $399,000, which remained the only bid for several hours before a late bidding war pushed the price up by approximately $1.4 million.
“We thought we had it until those last two minutes,” Hicksville Village Administrator Cory Wann said following the close of the auction.
As of Friday morning, Crexi had not disclosed the name of the successful bidder. Wann said village officials hope the new owner will have an interest in returning some form of healthcare services to the community, noting the hospital’s long history serving Hicksville and surrounding areas, including many residents from neighboring Paulding County who relied on CMH for care.
Even as recently as Tuesday, Hicksville Village Council heard a presentation from Chris Fisher of Fisher Health System outlining possible options if the building were leased for healthcare-related use. That presentation led council into executive session to discuss whether the village should place a bid in the auction.
When council returned to open session, members Toni Egly, Eric Bassett and Kent Miller voted against submitting a bid, while Bo Gonwick, Mike Villena and Brian Zeedyk voted in favor. Mayor Mike Barth cast the tie-breaking vote in support of the village bid.
The auction ran from noon Tuesday through noon Thursday and included the 99,912-square-foot hospital building located at 108 Columbus Ave., along with 20.56 acres of land zoned for public use. The potential closing date is on or before Feb. 24.
The auction followed the termination of a previously proposed village purchase agreement for $2.35 million on Nov. 7, after a deal with a prospective healthcare end user fell through. Wann described the village’s involvement as an effort to act as a “gatekeeper” for the property, with the goal of finding an owner committed to bringing healthcare services back to the community.
Community Memorial Hospital suspended operations in May 2024 due to financial difficulties. In August 2024, the Ohio Public Employees Retirement System (OPERS) filed a civil case in common pleas court against the Mark, Milford, Hicksville Joint Township Hospital District seeking to recover approximately $3 million in unpaid retirement and health contributions, including employee withholdings dating back to 2022.
Citing the hospital’s financial condition, the court appointed Gibbons Advisors (Ohio), LLC as receiver on Aug. 23, 2024. It was at that time acting through co-founder and managing director Winters Gibbons who then authorized the permanent shutdown a little over a week later.
