Parkview Health expanding again

Published: February 17, 2012 3:00 a.m.

Parkview building gets tax break

County also OKs hiring additional building inspector

FORT WAYNE – The Allen County Council on Thursday approved a tax break for a $3.8 million Parkview Health Systems project that is under way.

The council unanimously approved the seven-year abatement on real estate improvements for expansion of Parkview Health Systems’ building at 11136 Parkview Circle, near Parkview North Hospital near Interstate 69 and Dupont Road.

The building will be leased to the company Ortho NorthEast, also known as ONE.

Tax abatements are used by local government to entice new businesses or to retain existing jobs. They exempt all or a portion of a company’s increased assessed value that comes from new investment from property taxes.

Ortho NorthEast will retain its current staff of 86 with annual salaries of $6.7 million, according to Nicole Liter, an Allen County economic development specialist. It plans to add 18 new employees, including physicians, physician assistants, nurses and medical secretaries, for an additional $1.1 million in salaries.

The company should realize a tax savings of about $442,000, Liter said. Parkview has agreed to contribute 5 percent of the tax savings back to the county for future economic development projects.

The new facility is expected to be completed in May 2013.