A Valparaiso building project left half-finished when the COVID-19 pandemic hit has been reimagined, with construction resuming for what is promised to be “an ambitious state-of-the-art medical facility.”
The long-vacant multi-story building at 1425 Glendale Boulevard, located across the street from ValPlayso Park near the intersection of Roosevelt Road, is being completed by Hasse Construction and will become Viking Medical Center.
Once it opens in the new year, the building will house a 43,500-square-foot medical facility including two stories, three elevators, covered parking, as Hasse describes “high-end finishes and a bright atrium” and ready to house a variety of medical tenants.
“Finishing out this project is not an easy task and we’re so pleased that a local hero has taken it on,” said Valparaiso Mayor Jon Costas at a September City Council meeting in which a tax abatement was unanimously approved to facilitate the project and the benefits it will offer the community.
Because the space is prominently located across the street from ValPlayso, Costas said the status of the unfinished project often drew questions and concerts.
“The building originally broke ground in 2018 before the initial developer filed bankruptcy and abandoned the project,” Costas said.
Initially designed as a renal care facility for kidney dialysis, Hasse Construction will continue the project as intended as a specialized medical facility, available for medical tenants to customize their own suite spaces.
“While the project was approximately 40% complete before it was abandoned, finishing it has required remediating the building, since the unfinished structure had been open to the elements during the aborted building process,” Costas said.
Costas estimates once complete, the project will represent an investment of more than $15 million in addition to the creation of at least 60 jobs with an average annual salary of $90,000.
“This property has for the past six years generated more resident complaints than any other,” said Valparaiso City Council President Robert Cotton, who represents District 2 where the building is located.
“Perhaps it is needless to say, but I am elated by the resumption of this project. The successful completion will transform a notable eyesore into a beautiful, fully functioning structure that will likely serve our community for the next 100-plus years.”
Hasse Construction is a 104-year-old company with experience in the commercial, industrial, institutional, healthcare and municipal fields. Some of its recent projects include Porter Business Park and St. Mary Medical Center, both in Valparaiso; the Kankakee Welcome Center on southbound I-65′ and Bulldog Park in Crown Point, among other destination landmarks throughout Indiana and Illinois.
According to Billy Hasse of Hasse Construction, the new building facility is already accepting tenants for leased space agreements, with more information and details available at vikingmedicalcenter.com.
Phil Potempa is a freelance reporter for the Post-Tribune.
