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Damage to former hospital includes broken windows, open doors

T-R PHOTOS BY LANA BRADSTREAM — An old hospital bed sits outside of a wide open door to the former UnityPoint hospital. Marshalltown Police Department officers regularly patrol by the facility and will check it out when open doors or windows are seen.
A window is completely open in the old hospital in downtown Marshalltown, giving easy access to trespassers. The Marshalltown Police Department has responded to calls about people in the facility more than 40 times since April.
Behind tinted windows, empty boxes of training ammunition lie on a floor in the old hospital. Marshalltown Police Department Chief Chris Jones said the ammunition, Force on Force, is non-lethal.
A room in the former UnityPoint hospital on Main Street is strewn with trash. Glass from the broken window lies on the ground.

Marshalltown Police Department officers have responded to calls regarding the former UnityPoint hospital 44 times since April 4.

Chief Chris Jones said the main two reasons for the responses have been trespassing and burglary, primarily by adults.

“I think they’re looking for scrap metal or anything left behind to take and possibly resell,” he said. “Copper piping, wiring, miscellaneous office items – whatever people can take and have for themselves or sell for money.”

On Dec. 7 2024, four Des Moines men were arrested for burglary and theft at the site. Just four days later, on Dec. 11, a juvenile was arrested for arson after allegedly lighting a fire in one of the empty rooms.

The facility became empty in April 2022 after UnityPoint relocated to the south side of town, but owner Scott Covalt of Dike purchased it in February 2022 with plans to convert it to office, retail and residential spaces. However, no action has been taken to improve or renovate the property.

Marshalltown residents have wondered and whispered about the activity in the old hospital with it sitting empty for so long. Vandals have broken numerous windows, shards of glass lay scattered across various spots on the sidewalk, general damage to the interior and garbage strewn across the floors can be seen just by looking through one of the broken panes.

The rumors of homeless individuals residing in the hospital are not accurate.

“The people we have encountered, I would not necessarily classify them as homeless,” Jones said. “But they are trespassing.”

When the T-R was at the site Friday, one of the entry doors was wide open; another — one of the main entrances — had a large pile of broken glass directly in front of it, but there was relatively easy access to the interior; and a window tucked in a crevice to the north of the main entrance had an unbroken pane, but was also wide open. Jones said he does not know how long the doors and window have been open. MPD officers will regularly patrol by the site, and if they notice something unusual, such as an open door or window, they will check it out further, he said.

“We will continue to address the issues if we are called,” Jones said. “We will continue to do so after the sale.”

Also seen by the T-R were numerous empty ammunition boxes on the floor behind a pane of tinted glass. However, Jones said that brand of ammunition – Force on Force – is used for training and is non-lethal. The MPD has utilized the former hospital for training exercises.

The chief said he is looking forward to the former hospital having a new owner, someone who will decide what to do with it and act.

“I encourage further development, but I would like it if anyone can step in, secure the building and prevent it from being a target of theft and burglary,” Jones said. “We will be happy to work with the new owner on ideas and strategies to secure the facility until they can decide what they want to do with it. I am glad ownership is moving forward, which is on the right track. [Maybe] they will see if there are parts of the hospital that can be salvaged for some purpose. Or demolish it to build a new commercial building.”

Legal matters

The site has fallen into foreclosure and is listed on the Marshall County Sheriff’s Office Foreclosure Sales website page. The sale date is set for Nov. 4, and the judgement against it is $1.392 million.

In August 2024, ServiceMaster by Rice in Des Moines brought a lawsuit against Covalt for failure to pay for services. ServiceMaster employees worked on the property in January 2023 to improve it, racking up a $1.7 million bill for Covalt that was not paid. The company sought a judgement against the hospital facility for the amount owed. On July 7, Judge Jennifer Miller ruled the former hospital be put in foreclosure to pay the ServiceMaster bill.

On Sept. 22, the City of Marshalltown filed a petition in the Marshall County Courthouse to acquire the title to the property.

The petition states the former hospital has been abandoned for more than six months, is deteriorating and filled with vermin and debris. Utilities are not being provided. It is open to vandals and squatters, and Covalt has not made efforts to rehabilitate the site even though the city has “expended considerable effort” to maintain the building and the grounds. The property taxes have also not been paid.

According to the Marshall County Auditor/Recorder’s Office, the amount of unpaid taxes total $294,962. The total includes the three addresses attached to the property – 405 and 407 E. Main St. and 412 E. Church St. – for September 2024 and March and September of this year.

Contact Lana Bradstream at 641-753-6611 ext. 210 or lbradstream@timesrepublican.com.

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