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The completion of the $2 million DaVita Dialysis on the west side of town will likely aid in future development. This area of town is in need of ongoing investment, and we are proud to have been a quintessential part of sparking interest.
(RRStar, Sep 13, 2017, Jeff Kolkey)-Mayor Tom McNamara and First Midwest Group President Sunil Puri announced the completion a rare west side development that officials hope will soon become more commonplace.
Calling it a purposeful development, Puri said he was inspired to bring a more than $2 million DaVita dialysis center to the corner of West State Street and Springfield Avenue after reading about the unmet medical needs related to kidney disease and diabetes in minority and impoverished communities.
“I’m thrilled to make this investment and not just talk about it,” Puri said.
With the new DaVita center — a company Puri has worked with on numerous occasions — open and operational, he is setting his sights on developing two out lots on the 2.5-acre property. The lots adjacent to West State Street could be suitable for a Walgreen’s or a CVS Pharmacy, quick-service restaurants, retail shops, or perhaps medical uses that could turn the development into a small medical campus.
Alderwoman Linda McNeely, D-13, said the DaVita center is serving an unmet need on the city’s far west side. Patients, like her father who need kidney dialysis, have had no choice until now but to travel to other parts of the city for treatment.
“I expect with Mr. Puri’s development here, to see other developers come,” McNeely said. “The people in need of dialysis in this area are quite appreciative.”
McNamara said the city’s long-term investment in the expansion and improvement of the West State Street corridor have made developments like this one more possible.
McNamara said the city is committed to “investing in the west side of Rockford, and making sure that we are investing in our neighborhoods and investing in the people who live on the west side of Rockford and throughout entire city.”
