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BUSINESSDoctors shop for space, move to big boxA vacant grocery store offered space an Indiana group needed. Repurposing retail buildings increasingly is a practice-expansion option, although remodeling veterans say it isn't easy.By Mike Norbut, AMNews staff. Jan. 26, 2004. Needing more space is a common side effect of a growing practice, and Medical Consultants PC, a 45-physician multispecialty group in Muncie, Ind., was no different. The group's two locations were cramped, making it difficult for physicians and staff members to operate efficiently. But Muncie, a city of about 67,000 people, offered few options for large-scale office space. A little creativity and nontraditional thinking, however, helped the physicians find the space they were seeking. Now, some of the physicians practice where they used to shop, having converted a vacant grocery store into a spacious new office. The building, with about 33,000 square feet of usable space, is now home to several related specialties, with enough extra room for the group to develop an endoscopy center. Patients who visit the new Medical Consultants office won't mistake the waiting room for the meat department or bread aisle. The project's $5 million total cost included purchasing the building and surrounding property, stripping the building down to its shell and rebuilding. "We looked around town for space, but if you wanted to be near the hospital, you would end up having to buy houses and tear them down," said Leonard Zeabart, MD, a gastroenterologist and president of Medical Consultants. "This location has proven to be wonderful. It's kind of like buying a warehouse." The physicians took advantage of a situation that real estate experts said is common in many communities across the country. As retail grocers continue to grow, buildings that once used to be considered large are now being left vacant, either because a smaller independent store was squeezed out of the market or a chain decided to expand in a new, larger location. [...]Full text of AMNews content is available to AMA members and paid subscribers.
Copyright 2004 American Medical Association. All rights reserved.
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