Valpo to Buy Porter Hospital: News Conference Monday

[valpopal]

"Porter Healthcare System has scheduled a news conference Monday to announce it will sell its downtown Valparaiso hospital to Valparaiso University, according to an announcement from the hospital.

The conference is scheduled for 10 a.m. in the hospital parking garage, and Porter CEO Jonathan Nalli, Valparaiso University President Mark Heckler and Valparaiso Mayor Jon Costas are scheduled to speak to the media."


http://www.nwitimes.com/news/local/porter/valparaiso/article_13682b01-fe41-55aa-b928-08fc8d3f0678.html

[agibson]

Very good.  This has seemed like a known plan around campus, but nice to hear that it's being made public, and is official.

I wonder what they're paying?  And, if they'll use any of the structure, for a while, or longer?

I suppose they'll tear it down sooner or later.  But, you wonder if it could perhaps benefit the nursing program.  And, I suppose there's nothing wrong with the parking garage.  A little far afield for now, but it could be the second on campus.

[vu72]

I think it is a logical site for a new fieldhouse!  Let's hope so for the benefit of baseball, softball and othe spring sports!  I know its high on Mark LaBarbera's agenda.

[valpotx]

That would be great!  Taking groundballs on the upper gym floors never really benefits you too much, as you can't get a good read that way lol.

[vuweathernerd]

the press conference is gonna be in the parking garage? really? why?

[vu72]

the press conference is gonna be in the parking garage? really? why?

This will answer the question:

http://posttrib.suntimes.com/7559249-537/old-porter-hospital-sale-to-vu-to-be-announced.html

[sectionee]

this stinks that they have to buy it and then pay to tear it down and clean it all up. 

[mj]

this stinks that they have to buy it and then pay to tear it down and clean it all up.

Is that the plan? It seems like it would cost a fortune to tear down a building that size plus any medical waste that was there.

[vu72]

Not sure where the tear it down and clean up the mess came from.  My understanding from a few sources is that certainly any cleanup will be handled by the seller.  As for the tear down  it is certainly possible that we would want to oversee this process to insure "green" procedures as that is part of our mission going forward.  It also could involve reuse of certain items to save costs.  As an offset, remember that this building will be loaded with copper and have quite a value.  Who knows...

[okinawatyphoon]

I wonder what else will be talked about? Can't wait for monday!

[setshot]

They will be talking about our upset win over YSU. 

[sectionee]

Not sure where the tear it down and clean up the mess came from.  My understanding from a few sources is that certainly any cleanup will be handled by the seller.  As for the tear down  it is certainly possible that we would want to oversee this process to insure "green" procedures as that is part of our mission going forward.  It also could involve reuse of certain items to save costs.  As an offset, remember that this building will be loaded with copper and have quite a value.  Who knows...

I hope you are right about the seller tearing it down and cleaning it up, but I think my source has it right (in the end it really doesn't matter).  Regardless, Valpo needs the room to expand and we are getting a parking garage out of the deal!

[78crusader]

VU gets a parking garage?  I'm out of the loop on this one.  Are you saying we will get the old parking structure near the hospital? Is that the one on LaPorte (or is it Lincolnway?)  No offense to VU, but -- why in the world would we want a parking garage that is, (1) old, (2) way far from campus, and (3) as unattractive a parking garage as you can find?

Paul

[sectionee]

the parking garage should be in the deal.  I think they are also getting the old 3D building and parking lot on the other side of lincolnway, all will be revealed tomorrow I suppose.

[78crusader]

If they do get the old 3D building, which is nothing if not the very definition of an eyesore, I hope they do something with that property -- and fast.  Paul

[okinawatyphoon]

That parking garage isn't that bad.....certainly not as good looking as the one by the residence halls, but it could still be useful. I am very excited to hear what comes out of is deal.

[cornonthe]

Is there anything being said about the possibility of a teaching hospital/med school?

[agibson]

Two excerpts from the note that just went out to the VU community, below.  More details in the press conference, presumably.

The President talks about the sale of

the hospital and its surrounding properties

So, it's probably fairly inclusive of the various structures.

And,

Porter Hospital will be demolished and the land will be environmentally remediated as part of the purchase agreement, although some of the Hospital's property assets, such as the parking garage, may be retained once a full review of the land and property has been conducted.   The official land purchase is expected to be completed sometime in 2013, when the new Porter Hospital is officially opened and remediation is completed.

Which isn't completely clear.  But, it does sound like most of the structures will go, but that e.g. the parking garage might stay.  And, it makes it sound like the demolition and environmental remediation are part of the purchase agreement - so were presumably a negotiated part of the package.

But, surely the media will ask about those sorts of things.

[vu72]

As I thought and heard, we aren't taking any environmental risks.  It is a big piece of dirt contiguous to the campus.  We could use it for many things like coaches offices/new training facilities, a fieldhouse, maybe even a new baseball field. The article in The Times said the site is 250,000 sq. feet.  That's almost 6 acres.     Lots of options and you certainly wouldn't want it to go to someone you couldn't control.  BTW, the address is 814 LaPorte Avenue.  And it seems funny to me that they call it "the downtown location".  Nothing downtown about it as I recall!

[agibson]

BTW, the address is 814 LaPorte Avenue.  And it seems funny to me that they call it "the downtown location".  Nothing downtown about it as I recall!

I like the direction of their thinking, at least.  Looking quickly E/W, where would we draw the lines for the current "downtown"?  If we draw the western boundary at Campbell, I guess we wouldn't want to go east of... Valparaiso St?  Locust?  Morgan?  (Is Front Porch "downtown"?)

So, yeah, Porter's currently 3-4 blocks east of what I'd currently call downtown.  But, there is something of a contiguous business district.  And, I'd love for the continued development of the area north of the university (even the commercial development seems to be spurred in no small part by the university?) to give that neighborhood more of a "downtown" feel.

[vu72]

Here's the Post-Trib story on the acquisition.  didn't realize it is that big of a site.  This will make the campus one of the bigger ones for a school of our size.

http://posttrib.suntimes.com/news/porter/7616755-418/vu-may-grow-athletics-student-body-size-with-purchase-of-old-hospital.html

[vu72]

More info from The Times:

http://www.nwitimes.com/news/local/porter/valparaiso/article_39d9b361-2b2c-51f5-98d6-7ef47081a8c5.html

[agibson]

didn't realize it is that big of a site.  This will make the campus one of the bigger ones for a school of our size.

The new space definitely opens up possibilities, but it's not _that_ big of an addition, right?  A few percent?  

Apparently any agreement relating to the environmental remediation, as for the dollars exchanged, etc. isn't going to be disclosed.  Not too surprising, I guess.

[vu72]

didn't realize it is that big of a site.  This will make the campus one of the bigger ones for a school of our size.

The new space definitely opens up possibilities, but it's not _that_ big of an addition, right?  A few percent? 
Apparently any agreement relating to the environmental remediation, as for the dollars exchanged, etc. isn't going to be disclosed.  Not too surprising, I guess.

The Valpo website currently says the campus is 320 acres.  The added 13 will be 4% of the total.  It's the contiguous nature that makes it special.  It's not a bunch of little sites but one pretty big one.

[78crusader]

Actually, I think our campus size will decrease over time since Eastgate is clearly going to be gone within the time frame envisioned by the Master Plan spoken of by President Heckler.  Eastgate, which I suppose you could say was a decent idea back in 1970, is a bad idea now since it isolates the soccer and baseball programs and involves a safety issue, too, since to get there, most students walk across a road that is way more busy now than it was back in 1970.  I believe President Heckler mentioned in his last radio Q and A session that they were looking at the possibility of doing away with Eastgate.  

I remember attending VU baseball games held on campus in the 1960s and they were very well attended events.  I'd like to see baseball return to the main campus.  The more activity on the main campus, the better.  The administration is clearly trying to adopt an old part of the 1986 master plan and put together an "athletics district" of campus extending from the softball field all the way to the old hospital site.  

It sounds like the administration wants to make a fieldhouse a reality.  I sure hope so -- the three things we need are a new dorm (or two), a new science building to replace Neils, and a fieldhouse.  However, President Heckler may have given a clue as to when we can expect a new athletic facility since he said that the "final vision" of the master plan would use the new space for athletics and wellness.  The master plan encompasses a 20-year time period, so I wouldn't count on a new athletics facility in the short term.  Sounds like LeBien is coming down also.  Not sure where they would put a new nursing building, although the old campus master plan had it right in the heart of campus.  

Paul