The majority of the companies housed inside Invantrek Technology Park have found a temporary home after being forced to move out of the building, which sustained debilitating damage from last week’s tornado.
Mike McCool, the management of economic development for the Greater Kokomo Economic Development Alliance, which maintains the facility, said 26 companies and the nursing program of Ivy Tech Community College had to evacuate the building.
The tornado left gaping holes in parts of the roof, which caused extensive water damage on both the first and second floors of the facility. McCool estimated the building sustained between $1 million to $2 million in damages.
A week later, around 18 of the companies have found temporary homes to continue to operate their businesses, he said. GKEDA is working with the remaining companies to find them a place to set up shop.
“It’s been a community wide outreach,” McCool said. “I’ve been inundated with calls from people offering spots, whether it’s temporary or long term. People are really trying to help us out.”
Ivy Tech was the largest entity displaced from the building, located at 700 E. Firmin St. The building housed the college’s health sciences and nursing programs, which included classes for nursing, surgical technology, dental assisting, medical assisting, and EMT and paramedic programs.
In total, around 100 class sections were held inside Inventrek, according to Linda Ferries, media relations coordinator for the college’s Kokomo region.
All those classes have now been moved to the college’s main building and Student Life Building at 1815 E. Morgan St., the Dupont Building at 1901 E. Morgan St., and the Corporate College Building at 1701 Touby Pike.
Ferries said other classroom locations may move as a result of the required reorganization.
The offices of GKEDA were also housed inside the building. Those offices have now been temporarily moved inside the Kokomo Chamber of Commerce, located at 325 N. Main St.
McCool said the cleanup effort has begun to rid the technology park of all the water-logged furniture and other items damaged by the tornado. He said structural engineers are still inspecting the building to determine the full extent of the damage.
“Until tests are complete, we won’t be sure of the level damage that we have,” McCool said.
He said officials hope to have the building completely renovated within six months, but the timeline for repairs could change.