The Clarion Hotel and Conference center on Jonathan Moore Pike was sold yesterday morning at auction, and then sold again later in the day.

Columbus Regional Health has now purchased the building, according to an announcement from the hospital.

German-American Bank, the original lien holder on the hotel property, made the winning bid at the sheriff’s sale auction yesterday morning. Our news-gathering partners at The Republic report that was a $4.25 million dollar purchase.

The hospital then bought the property from the bank. Hospital officials say that the strategic purchase is made in recognition of the property’s importance at the entrance to the community. They have not yet made a plan for how they will use the property, but they note that the hospital has outgrown its current office space.

They say that the property planning process is meant to best meet the needs of the patients, customers and communities the hospital serves.