Historic building offering affordable office space for small business in downtown Columbia City
(Talk of the Town photos by Jennifer Zartman Romano) The old Linvill Memorial Hospital is experiencing a sort of rebirth as the building becomes a hub for small businesses in Columbia City, offering affordable office space in a historic location. Below, one of several office spaces available features a beautiful bay window in a part of the building that dates back to 1879 and that was part of the original Linvill family home.
By Jennifer Zartman Romano
Years ago, the former Linvill Hospital and later Linvill Memorial Clinic, at the corner of East Van Buren and Whitley streets was a place where babies were born, the sick sought medical care and where surgeries were performed. Indeed, it was a home for healthcare in Whitley County. 
Eventually, in the 1950s, a new hospital was built named Whitley Memorial Hospital and the attractive brick building found new uses first as a medical clinic and later as a fitness center and office space.
In a new millennium, the building is now experiencing a renaissance of sorts – providing low cost office space for small businesses looking for their spot in Whitley County commerce.
“This is a great old building, but we’re trying to get a few more tenants in here,” said Jim Macino, who is overseeing the marketing of the space. Macino said that by bringing in a few more tenants to the space, everyone will benefit by the addition of new fixtures and upgrades.
Down the long corridors where patients one traveled, today you see wall to wall carpeting and signs designating the various offices that already call the Linvill Building home – Vardaman Insurance, Franklin Electric, Adarna Healthcare, Hill’s ATA Academy, USA Powerlifting and G.R.A.M.’s Tutoring, to name a few.
Before locating his own office to the building, Macino had done his homework.
“I did some pricing and for an office downtown, I was looking at $400 per month just for the rental space,” Macino said. “Utilities on top of that like air conditioning, heat and electric – it would be pretty prohibitive.”
At the Linvill Building, he was able to find an affordable office space with utilities included, an attractive office space and a paved parking lot. His only added costs were for phone and internet services.
Approximately 8-10 spaces in the building are currently available. They may be rented monthly or, with a discount, on an annual contract basis. Meeting a wide variety of pricing needs, the rentals start at about $125 per month on up. Rental contracts can be made on a monthly or yearly basis.
“It’s the kind of thing we need to have in Columbia City,” Macino said.
Macino believes the location is ideal – with great proximity to downtown Columbia City, governmental offices, the YMCA, Peabody Public Library and, soon, the new site of Parkview Whitley Hospital and its medical offices.
Another benefit Macino sees in filling the office spaces at the Linvill Building is that it is an excellent example of taking a retired space and finding a new use for it that meets the needs of the community.
Because it is using a rehabbed building, each office space is unique and boasts character you won’t find everywhere. One available office features an attractive bay window while another offers a sunny, multidirectional view of downtown Columbia City. Another is a subterranean office with the street at eye-level, offering a unique view as traffic rolls by.
“It’s already here and ready to move in,” Macino said. “We want to fill this place up again.”
For more information about touring the available office space, square footage availability or pricing, contact Jim Macino at 693-6102 or send him an e-mail at jim@icmgt.com..