FBI seeks Porter County records for construction of hospital, medical office building

BY AMY LAVALLEY Correspondent March 10, 2014 7:32PM

Updated: March 11, 2014 2:01AM

VALPARAISO The FBI has broadened its scrutiny of Porter County, this time going after records regarding the construction of Porter Regional Hospital and an adjacent medical office building.

Agents were at the Porter County Plan Commission office Friday afternoon and Monday morning, asking for copies of building permits for the two structures, said Robert Thompson, executive director of the plan commission.

Thats all I can say, he said.

The document request came less than a week after Porter County Councilman Jim Biggs, R-1st District, held a news conference March 4 questioning whether the medical office building, owned by a trust, should be part of a 10-year tax abatement the council has granted to the hospital.

He also questioned the trusts arrangement with the hospital which owns the land on which the medical office sits and noted the degree of clandestineness on the part of the hospital in regards to the medical building.

A high-ranking official with the trust has said theres nothing unusual about the arrangement, and said Wednesday the trust is not seeking a tax abatement for the medical building.

The building is adjacent to the hospital, at Indiana 49 and U.S. 6.

This is the fourth time since November the FBI has requested documents regarding the county.

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FBI seeks Porter County records for construction of hospital, medical office building