Around 26 companies and the nursing program of Ivy Tech Kokomo were forced to move out of Inventrek Technology Park Thursday after the building sustained severe roof damage.
Mike McCool, the management of economic development for the Greater Kokomo Economic Development Alliance, which maintains the building, said the building on East Firmin Street sustained between $1 million and $2 million in damage from Wednesday’s tornado.
He said the storm left gaping holes in parts of the roof, which caused extensive water damage on both the first and second floors of the facility.
Twenty-six companies were located inside the building as part of GKEDA’s business incubator program, as well as Ivy Tech’s nursing program and dental-assistant program. They were all required to move out Thursday, McCool said.
“When we get the facility in shape, we can hopefully bring them back into the fold,” he said.
Repairs could take up to a year, though. McCool said in the meantime, GKEDA will attempt to find temporary homes for as many businesses as possible so they can continue developing their company.
“We will continue to try to help them anyway we can,” he said.
McCool said the silver lining in the situation is the fact that around 200 people took shelter in the facility during the tornado, and no one was injured.
“The beautiful thing was we utilized our emergency plan and everybody took shelter and everyone was safe,” he said. “Now I see volunteers. I see IUK students sweeping up the parking lots. I think the community comes together and we come out of a disaster stronger than ever. Kokomo is resilient.”