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LEWISTOWN -- Vacant retail spaces have provided a unique opportunity for other businesses, particularly healthcare systems, to reimagine the way the space can be used.
Healthcare systems are increasingly renovating and expanding their facilities into vacant retail locations, such as Geisinger Health is doing with the former Bon-Ton department store location in downtown Lewistown as the home for its planned state-of-the-art School of Nursing.
The 46.660-square-foot retail space at 111 E. Market St., Lewistown, is under construction and scheduled to open its doors in the spring.
"I will start off by saying right now the School of Nursing resembles an ant colony," said Jason Printzenhoff, construction project superintendent for the Geisinger project.
"The inside of the building looks vastly different than an empty box store. There are a ton of things going on all at once," he added.
There hasn't been this kind of hustle and bustle inside since holiday shopping before Bon-Ton closed in 2018.
"As I type this, a brand-new roof is being installed and will be wrapped up shortly," Printzenhoff explained. "Preparations for the new rooftop HVAC units will be underway this week.
"New windows have been cut into the exterior shell and temp sheathed over on the south and east walls and are awaiting windows installation," he added. "New interior walls are being framed and the MEPs (mechanical, electrical and plumbing) are being roughed in as the walls are framed to allow for sheetrock to start being installed within the next two weeks. The new elevator shaft is being installed from the basement to the first floor."
The construction process is full of ups and downs, gain and lag times in scheduling throughout the project.
"We have been handed down a hard fast date of May 6 for the start of classes in the new building and we have committed to hit this date," Printzenhoff said.
Healthcare facilities take a long time to build, but if a structure like the Bon-Ton building already exists, key elements already are in place. The time and cost savings of not having to build from scratch can grow exponentially.
In March 2022, Geisinger Health announced the purchase of the property for $800,000, according to hospital officials.
Printzenhoff certainly wouldn't have committed to the time frame without the building in place.
Key elements already in place also encompass more than what is inside the four walls of the building. The exterior parking infrastructure is already in place.
While these benefits are highly desirable, the space was certainly not move-in ready for Geisinger.
The school has already noticed a bump in enrollment as it prepares for the opening.
"Applications to the nursing program have increased over the past year, and we have enrolled 40 students in Fall 2023," said Beth Finkbiner, director of the Geisinger School of Nursing. "We have also started admitting a second cohort each year. We started 25 students in on Jan. 2.
"Being able to offer an associate degree in nursing has also added to the increased interest," she added. "Our increased recruitment efforts have also helped our enrollment numbers."