FORT WAYNE, Ind. — A majestic 95-year-old building that once housed nurses caring for the city’s sick is opening its doors again, this time as desperately needed downtown housing.
The former St. Joseph Hospital Nurses Residence at 820 Van Buren Street, empty and condemned just four years ago, officially welcomed its first residents this month after a $12 million restoration led by local developers Patrick Brown and Thomas Sternfeldt.
From Near Demolition to Downtown Gem
Patrick Brown still remembers the day he and Sternfeldt walked through the crumbling structure in 2020.
“The city was days away from tearing it down,” Brown said. “We saw broken windows, pigeons flying through the halls, and thirty years of neglect. But we also saw those incredible bones, the original hardwood floors, the terrazzo stairs, the 1929 craftsmanship that you simply cannot replicate today.”
The partners bought the building for $350,000 and immediately faced a condemned notice from the city. Instead of walking away, they doubled down.
What saved the building was its historic status and the developers’ willingness to chase every available tax credit. Federal historic preservation tax credits covered 20 percent of costs, state credits added another 25 percent, and a low-income housing tax credit program helped finance the affordable units.
Preserving History While Building the Future
The restoration team kept far more than most expected.
Original wood windows were repaired instead of replaced. The grand lobby’s marble floors and wood paneling were meticulously restored. Even the original brass mailboxes in the entryway were saved and refinished.
“It’s not just about keeping old stuff,” Sternfeldt explained while walking through the building last week. “It’s about keeping the soul of Fort Wayne. These walls heard nurses talking about patients in the 1930s, 1940s, 195 years of caring for this community. That matters.”
The building now contains 46 apartments ranging from studios to two-bedrooms. Twelve units are reserved for residents earning 60 percent or less of area median income.
Monthly rents start at $900 for studios and reach $1,850 for the largest two-bedroom units with river views.
The Numbers Behind the Transformation
| Apartment Type | Size (sq ft) | Starting Rent | Availability |
|---|---|---|---|
| Studio | 450-620 | $900-$1,200 | Move-in ready |
| One-bedroom | 650-850 | $1,350-$1,650 | Limited |
| Two-bedroom | 950-1,200 | $1,850-$2,100 | Waitlist |
| Income-restricted | Various | $750-$1,200 | 12 units |
Why This Building Matters Now
Fort Wayne’s downtown population has grown 42 percent since 2010, yet housing supply has not kept pace. The waiting list for downtown apartments routinely exceeds 200 people.
“This project proves we don’t have to choose between preservation and progress,” said Fort Wayne’s Director of Community Development, Nancy Townsend. “Patrick and Thomas showed that with creativity and determination, we can save our history while solving today’s problems.”
The Nurses Residence joins a growing list of successful adaptive reuse projects downtown, including the old GE campus becoming Electric Works and the former Anthony Wayne Bank building now housing lofts.
A Personal Victory for Two Local Developers
For Patrick Brown, who grew up just blocks from the building, the completion feels deeply personal.
“My grandmother was treated at St. Joe Hospital in the 1960s,” he shared. “Nurses who lived right here probably cared for her. Bringing this building back feels like honoring that generation while giving young people moving downtown the kind of beautiful, character-rich housing they deserve.”
Thomas Sternfeldt became emotional watching the first residents receive their keys.
“We got hate mail when we started,” he admitted. “People said we were crazy, that it couldn’t be saved. Seeing families and young professionals walking through these halls now? That’s everything.”
The Residences at Van Buren (the building’s new official name) is already 68 percent leased just weeks after opening.
One new resident, Sarah Johnson, a nurse at Lutheran Hospital across the street, summed it up perfectly.
“I walk past this building every day for work,” she said while unpacking in her new one-bedroom. “Living here feels like becoming part of Fort Wayne’s story. And honestly? These apartments are gorgeous.”
The restoration of the St. Joseph Nurses Residence proves that sometimes the best new housing is hidden inside our oldest buildings, waiting for someone brave enough to see it.
What do you think about saving historic buildings by turning them into housing? Have you seen other success stories in your city? Share your thoughts below, and if you’re as excited about this preservation victory as we are, use #FortWayneRising when you post about it on social media.
