The pending sell of River Valley Health System’s Ironton campus to Our Lady of Bellefonte Hospital continues to move forward as more debts are paid.

However, an agreement on how three properties will be sold to clear debts to National City Bank was not reached at the June 6 hearing, as was previously thought.

The court is trying to determine if it can deed the Wheelersburg clinic over to the bank or if it should be put up for public sale. The property is valued at nearly $280,000, approximately the same amount as owed on it, said Charles Cooper, attorney for Lawrence County General Hospital.

There are also two properties at 802 Kemp Ave. and 2308 S. Ninth St., that adjoin the Ironton campus and are valued at about $126,000. The bank could use $136,000 in reserve offset funds RVHS had deposited to clear these debts.

An agreement was believed to have been reached, but a miscommunication must be ironed out by the July 26 hearing, Cooper said.

Michael Whitehead, chairman of the building and site committee for the Community of Christ of Ironton, asked Judge Everett Burton to place a hold on selling 2.1 acres owned by Lawrence County General Hospital, located on State Route 141 and U.S. 52.

"We want to find out if we can be considered to purchase it and to have the time to discuss within our church if this is the best site," Whitehead said.

Whitehead said the church has already sold its current location at 1501 S, Ninth St. to Ohio University Southern and are looking at four potential sites for a new church and possible community service facilities.

Currently, OUS has offered to lease with the option to purchase the property for the appraised value of $175,000, However, Judge Burton said the university does not presently have all the funds and granted Whitehead six weeks to discuss the purchase with the church and make an offer, if interested.

In the meantime, the court received $80,000 from Dr. Rahul Patil to purchase property located at 2412 S. Sixth St. where he currently has his office. The court also announced that Dr. Robert Mullins will repay the $136,000 that the hospital had co-signed for medical school loans.

A tentative agreement has been reached to sell the Portsmouth campus to Southern Ohio Medical Center for $1.75 million, Cooper said. Judge Burton approved the payment of $400,000 of this to settle the account with the Ohio Department of Mental Health.

The court also approved an auction of personal property tied to the Scioto County campus. Cooper said he expects the sale to be completed within a few weeks. Michael Caldwell/The Ironton Tribune