Rhode Island safety officials have ordered Providence-based Care New England to maintain Pawtucket-based Memorial Hospital, which it closed last year because of financial losses, according to NBC 10.
Under the order, Care New England must maintain the building so it doesn't become a fire hazard or an eyesore. The hospital owner can't board up the windows or shut off the heat. Further, the fire alarm system and security system must remain intact.
"Care New England is committed to the highest standards of maintenance and safe-keeping for the Memorial Hospital site pending final disposition of the property. We have worked collaboratively with city and state officials for months now, including the fire marshal and others to develop a plan that best meets the needs for the proper upkeep of the site during this period of transition," Jim Beardsworth, a spokesman for Care New England, told NBC 10.