The former Vibra Hospital at 1400 State St. has been vacant since fall 2023.
Reminder Publishing photo by Sarah Heinonen
SPRINGFIELD — Overgrown weeds and graffiti on the inside of windowpanes are obvious signs of dereliction at the former Vibra Hospital at 1400 State St. The building was abandoned by Vibra Healthcare in fall 2023. While the city entered into a purchase and sale agreement for the property at the time, Mayor Domenic Sarno said the company has not held up its end of the bargain.
“They failed to maintain the property,” Sarno said of Vibra Healthcare, which is headquartered in Pennsylvania and owns 20 other hospitals across the country. Sarno said the city has been trying to work with Vibra Healthcare, but none of the communications sent to the company during the first half of the year have received a response.
The building had not been sealed against unauthorized entry after Vibra vacated the property. Because of this, Sarno said it is a “safety hazard.” Making good on warnings from as early as May, the city took legal action the morning of July 5. Sarno said that the company was charged $3,150 for its failure to secure and maintain the property and would incur $1,000 each day it remained that way. A lien was also placed on the property.
Sarno explained that the city had also instructed Eversource to cut power to the building, eliminating Vibra’s income from the cell towers atop the building. He said the hope was that the actions “lit a fire underneath you-know-what.”
Code Enforcement Commissioner Steven Desilets commented, “It’s heartbreaking to see this building. We’ve got kids going in there. There’s absolutely no excuse for this,” Desilets said. Plywood was placed over the windows on the first floor of the building immediately after legal action was taken by the city, but the covering is not up to standard. “Anyone with a power drill can pull these off and get in,” he said, referencing the plywood sheets and screws.
Fire Commissioner B.J. Calvi said the “interior conditions are deplorable.” There is no running water and an estimated $150,000 in damage has been done by squatters and others who have accessed the building.
“This building is what we call a firefighter killer,” Calvi said, noting there are doors that lock from one side, creating the potential to trap firefighters. While the shell of the building is not combustible, the doors, roof and items inside will burn if a fire breaks out, he said. He added that he had already given instructions that any fire at the site is to be fought from the outside only for the safety of the first responders.
Police Superintendent Lawrence Akers said the building is being used as “a drug den” and “people are going to get hurt without action.” He said the Police Department will patrol the area, but also asked neighbors to “keep an eye out” for people accessing the site.
The facility, built in 1870, was once Springfield City Hospital. It was sold by the city for $3 million in 1980. The 17-acre property was last assessed at $6.4 million, but in October 2023, the city agreed to pay Vibra just $1 for the hospital and its grounds.
Sarno explained that Springfield is “land poor” and a large, centrally located site with “a multitude of parking” would be attractive to developers for housing. The sale was supposed to be finalized in January, but the lack of communication delayed it. Now, Chief Development Officer Timothy Sheehan said, the city was “fed up” and reconsidering the acquisition. Sarno said he hoped the legal action would spur movement on the property.
Reminder Publishing reached out to Vibra Healthcare for comment, but a response was not received in time for publication.
