VALPARAISO, Ind. — The University of Chicago Medicine plans to open a 43,500-square-foot medical care center on Valparaiso’s east side in 2027. The health system announced the project Sept. 22. It follows the Crown Point micro-hospital the system opened in 2024. UChicago Medicine’s Aug. 5, 2022 groundbreaking release put that center at $121 million. Northwest Indiana Business Magazine’s April 29, 2024 ribbon story said construction cost about $121 million.
Key facts
| Item | As reported |
|---|---|
| Site | 1425 E. Glendale Blvd., Valparaiso |
| Size | 43,500 sq ft |
| Services | Primary care, diagnostic imaging, lab, infusion, specialty care |
| Work start | Later in 2026 |
| Opening | 2027 |
| Investment | Not disclosed |
| Crown Point add-on | About 7,500 sq ft onto its 130,000-sq-ft facility |
UChicago declined to put a dollar figure on the project, Inside INdiana Business reported. A spokesperson told the outlet the money covers buying the building, renovation and interior buildout, equipment and other costs. The system did not release a job count.
A finished building finally gets a user
The building has a long backstory. Northwest Indiana Business Magazine identified it as the former Viking Medical building.
A July 24 release from broker McColly Bennett Commercial Advantage announced the sale of the 43,500-square-foot medical office building at the same address. That release did not name the buyer. It said construction began in 2018, when the site was planned as a dialysis center. The original tenant never moved in, and the building sat unfinished and vacant. Viking Medical Center bought it and hired Hasse Construction to finish it.
The two-story building has parking for 182 vehicles and sits across from ValPlayso Park, the release said.
Why UChicago says it is growing here
“We are seeing firsthand the growing demand for UChicago Medicine’s physicians and programs in Northwest Indiana,” Amy Ross, UChicago Medicine’s chief strategy and growth officer, said in the release. She said the expansion will offer “a broader range of care closer to home.”
Valparaiso Mayor Jon Costas welcomed the deal. “As Valparaiso grows, partnerships that expand access to high-quality healthcare are increasingly important to our community,” Costas said.
The health system already runs sites in Crown Point, Munster, Merrillville, Valparaiso and Chesterton. Less than two years after opening Crown Point, it announced a roughly 7,500-square-foot addition there. The addition adds exam rooms plus more imaging, procedure and surgical space. An earlier $86 million figure, still in Inside INdiana Business, is the uncorrected early report.
Krista Curell is president of UChicago Medicine Crown Point and the University of Chicago Medical Center. She tied the Valparaiso site to work in Chicago and the south suburbs. “Our goal is to make it easier for patients to access the care they need while maintaining the connection to UChicago Medicine’s academic medical center and highly specialized expertise,” Curell said.
The needs list behind it
In August, UChicago Medicine Northwest Indiana released its first Community Health Needs Assessment. The system said more than 700 residents and stakeholders weighed in. The assessment flagged:
- Access to care
- Cancer, especially female breast and colorectal cancer
- Heart disease and stroke
- Nutrition, physical activity and weight
Northwest Indiana Business Magazine reported that the Valparaiso center is meant to meet needs laid out in the system’s 2026-2028 Community Health Improvement Plan.
What’s next
Renovation and buildout are expected to start later this year, with an opening in 2027. UChicago has not posted a staffing plan, a list of specialties or an exact opening date. Region N3 will update when it does.
Photo credit
¹ Northwest Indiana Business Magazine — Former Viking Medical building at 1425 E. Glendale Boulevard, the Valparaiso site UChicago Medicine is renovating. ² Inside INdiana Business — UChicago Medicine Crown Point center, the 2024 Northwest Indiana hospital this project follows — not the Glendale Boulevard building.