The former Centura College building is being converted into a new medical space. Photo by Katie Demeria.

A local medical practice is breathing new life into a vacant 48-year-old Broad Street building.

Richmond Nephrology Associates, a local practice of kidney specialists with five locations, is renovating the 25,000-square-foot Centura College building at 7001 W. Broad St. into a new medical office.

The practice purchased the two-story building at the end of March for $1.9 million. Dr. Ari Hirsch of Richmond Nephrology Associates said the group will relocate its West End office to the new space.

“We’re transforming the building into what we believe will be a center for excellence of kidney care for Richmond’s north side,” Hirsch said. “I think the county will like that we’re going to be taking one of the ugliest properties on Broad Street and redeveloping it so it looks really nice.”

Richmond Nephrology Associates will take up 5,000 square feet in the building’s second floor, Hirsch said. Another tenant will fill out the rest of the leasable space with close to 13,000 square feet, including the entire first floor and a portion of the second. Hirsch declined to name the second tenant.

Richmond Nephrology Associate’s new office will open in December.

Work is currently underway to gut the building and vastly improve the exterior, Hirsch said. He declined to share the renovation costs.

“For our practice, it’s very exciting to grow and contribute back to the city, the county and our patients,” he said. “Honestly, nobody wants to see a kidney doctor, so offering them a place that’s comfortable, warm and inviting is important to us.”

ECI Development is overseeing the project, Bowman Consulting is providing engineering services, Emerald Construction is the general contractor and Baskervill Architects designed it.

The building has been vacant for more than a year, after Centura College moved out in 2013. Brandywine Realty Trust had handled the listing until Colliers International took it over.

Tyler Miller and Bill Mattox of Colliers represented the seller, Emily Walker, who had owned the building since 1993. Susan Jones, also of Colliers, represented Richmond Nephrology Associates.

Miller said Colliers took over the listing last year. It went under contract within a week, then took about six months to close.

“We had instant interest,” Miller said. “It was a good deal for everyone involved.”

About 12 employees will be relocated to Richmond Nephrology Associates’ new office.

The practice was founded about 25 years ago and has other offices in Midlothian, on the Southside on Hioaks Road, in Chesterfield County’s Watkins Center, and in Amelia County.

The Centura College building will join a few other medical office buildings rising throughout Henrico County. Local pharmacist Chris Currin is working on the development of a two-story medical office building in Towne Center West, and the first of three buildings in the West Creek Medical Park was recently completed.

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