Hope Clinic brings a healthy vibe to downtown Globe

Perhaps the largest remodel to take place in Globe’s Downtown District in the last twenty years promises to infuse the area with a healthy vibe. The Hope Clinic, owned by Chad Campbell, P.A., and Holly Rooney, M.D., will triple the space of their current medical practice and add a healthy eatery and retail space downstairs and an expansive yoga/multipurpose room and offices upstairs.

Rooney says she and Campbell had been looking for a new space for nearly five years and considered buying land to build from scratch. But they didn’t find a place that met all their criteria until a large two-story brick building came up for sale in 2017.

Built by Sears in the ’50s, the building served as Kim’s Fashions until recently, when the owner retired. “We had no idea it was so well built when we first looked at it,” Rooney says. She and Campbell were first attracted to the fact that it came with its own parking lot. Parking, as many who live here know, is a rarity for buildings in the historic downtown district.

It wasn’t until they went inside the building that they really began to appreciate the quality of the construction in the original framework. The building has solid concrete floors on both levels, and steel beams throughout provide the basic structure. The brick had been painted over many times, leaving the exterior looking worn-out and old. Yet Rooney said she could see in places how beautiful the building would be if the brick was sandblasted.

Rooney, who has been active in downtown projects in various capacities over the past ten years, says that the location of the building in downtown Globe was also a factor. She and her mother, Rosemary, spent nearly eight years restoring the Chrysocolla Inn, a historic bed and breakfast built in the 1920s – so she is no stranger to the challenges of renovating and restoring old buildings. Smiling, Rooney says she was especially gratified to discover the quality of construction of the old Sears building. She noted that there really hadn’t been any issues during the renovation – only a small plumbing problem, which was discovered and fixed before it created any real problems.

“I just feel that we found a real jewel,” Rooney beams, pointing out the steel framework and freshly sandblasted brick interior walls.

Plans for the building include two 1,000-square-foot spaces that will share the main floor and have their own entrance off Broad Street. Full of natural light, with newly sandblasted red brick walls, the spaces feel elegant and inviting – even at this early stage. One space is being set aside for a healthy eatery, something Rooney expresses excitement about.

“We really are open to a variety of ideas,” she says, “including partnering with someone or leasing the space out entirely.” She explains that the space will have a full kitchen – but no hood – so, while it will have its limitations, it will be ideal for a menu of healthy foods. The timing for a new eatery couldn’t be more perfect, coinciding with the addition of Bloom, a new Asian Fusion and sushi restaurant that will open just down the street this fall.

The second downstairs space is being set aside for retail, and Rooney says they are looking for a tenant who can bring something fresh to the downtown area to attract both local residents and visitors.

While the rest of the downstairs is being built out with exam rooms and spaces for lab techs and visiting specialists, the second floor offers another 8,000 square feet of space. Nearly half it will be devoted to a large open area to be used as a yoga/multipurpose room.

“We plan to put in a bamboo floor,” says Rooney. The room will also have a storage area for yoga mats and a sound system. Rooney says there are several yoga instructors in Globe who might want to hold classes here, and she and Campbell are open to ideas and opportunities to collaborate on the use of this space.

In addition, she says, they want to install a teaching kitchen on the second floor, where they could host healthy cooking classes.

The second floor will also house a small number of offices in the back half of the space, including space for a diabetic educator, a billing and referral office, and offices for Rooney and Campbell. Two offices will be available for rent.

In the back of the building, large roll-up doors open to the alley – a throwback to the Sears days, when the retail giant would receive carpeting, appliances, and household goods, and the big delivery trucks would drive right inside.

Rooney plans to keep the roll-up doors. She says, “You see what other (communities) are doing with their alleys, so you never know!” She is referring to examples in Tucson’s downtown district where restaurants and retailers routinely use their alley access to invite customers and engage the public. “Maybe our alley will become like that someday,” she says.

Contractors for the building include Ray Remos Contractors (construction), Earthquest (plumbing), MDC Electrical, Kwik Cool (heating and cooling), Joe Stewart (framing and drywall), and Kino Floors.