One of the largest development projects underway in Northwest Indiana involves a unique mix of new healthcare, academic, commercial, retail, and a technology-driven business park all planned for one 500-plus-acre campus. Multiple partners from several very different industries are working together to transform an area on the southeast side of Crown Point, IN into a destination that will serve Hoosiers for generations to come.
A new Franciscan Health Crown Point hospital will be the center point of the new campus, along with expanded space for the University of Saint Francis (USF), a possible new home for a new high school by Gary Diocese Schools, commercial space for Tonn and Blank Construction, and a business park and technology center development.
Project cost estimates reflect the potential for upwards of half a billion dollars to be invested. Officials with Franciscan report an expected investment of about $300 million for the new hospital and about $7 million for USF’s expanded space. Beyond that, officials believe additional investment could total between $400 to $500 million.
“This announcement is a generational development that we haven’t seen in decades,” said Crown Point Mayor David Uran. “It will create new jobs and professions, including using our local trades and skilled labor force for the new construction involved, notwithstanding all the educational, medical, and nursing fields to be represented and expanded.”
Big Plans
The specific site for the new development is on the southeast corner of Interstate 65 and U.S. 231, which currently includes Franciscan Health Franciscan Point and a USF facility primarily used for nursing education. Franciscan Point currently offers express care, diagnostic testing, rehabilitation services, occupational health, outpatient surgery and other services at this location.
The development of about 120 acres around the existing buildings will add a new regional medical center. The facility will be a state-of-the-art 160 bed acute care hospital and medical office building. The hospital will be seven stories high and has been planned to accommodate expansion in the years ahead to an eventual 300-bed capacity and expanded medical office building.
The project will also double the size of the USF campus’s healthcare degree offerings.
Additional Projects
In addition to the Franciscan and USF projects, several other major plans are in the works. A 60-acre parcel will serve as a possible home for a new Catholic high school by the Gary Diocese Schools. Approximately 250 acres is proposed as the Point 65 Business Park & Technology Center. Also, Tonn and Blank Construction will be developing an additional 80 acres for commercial use.
Mississippi Parkway Partners is developing Point 65 to be a technology-driven business park on 250 acres south of the new Franciscan Health Crown Point Hospital. The location will include sites for e-commerce businesses, logistics and distribution facilities, light and advanced manufacturing, and food industry businesses. Point 65 will generate an estimated $225,000,000 in new building and equipment investment and provide skilled and STEM employment opportunities. Construction is scheduled to begin in the third quarter of 2021.
Existing Hospital to Remain in Use
The current Franciscan Health Crown Point hospital closer to the heart of the city (1201 S. Main St.) will continue to serve the community as the new location is developed. Franciscan is exploring future uses for the present facility once the new hospital opens, which is currently planned for fall 2023.
“Our wonderful Main Street site is going to be a functioning asset for the community for many years to come,” said Franciscan Health Crown Point President and CEO Daniel McCormick, MD.
The original St. Anthony Medical Center, which opened in 1974, was purchased from Franciscan Sisters of Chicago in 1999 by Franciscan Alliance and has undergone multiple expansions over the years to meet the healthcare needs of the surrounding communities.
Worth Keeping an Eye On
This transformational development project is going to be one worth keeping an eye on as it grows. It could very likely spur considerable investment on the areas surrounding the projects for years to come and could be a major draw for new professionals and talent. The campus could also turn out to be one of the best examples of the economic benefits that can be created through unique inter-industry partnerships.
Construction Partners for the New Crown Point Campus: