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SMH plans to break ground on North Port’s first hospital and freestanding emergency room as part of its 100th anniversary celebrations
NORTH PORT – Sarasota Memorial Healthcare System is in talks with planning teams to build two new medical campuses in North Port, including the city’s first acute care hospital, which should be built at the Interstate 75 interchange off Sumter Avenue.
SMH will begin negotiations with Flad Architects and Barr & Barr General Contractors this month to finalize a master planning services contract.
Last fall, the hospital released a legal advertisement for the service.
Flad and Barr & Barr have extensive experience in medical facilities in Sarasota and elsewhere.
Flad designed SMH-Venice Hospital (located 13 miles north of the proposed Sumter Avenue campus) as well as Phases I and II of the Brian D; Jellison Cancer Institute, the Radiation Oncology Center on University Avenue and SMH -Oncology Tower on the Sarasota campus.
Barr & Barr is building the new Korshosky Institute of Research and Education on the site of the former Doctors Gardens office building, which will become part of the Sarasota campus.
Filling healthcare service gaps
“Our goal is to develop master plans for our two South County campuses that are forward-looking, financially sound and flexible enough to serve these communities now and into the future,” said David Verinder, CEO of Sarasota Memorial Health Care System. needs.” email. “We look forward to completing this important step in the planning process and working with our council, city leaders and surrounding communities to develop a new medical campus that we will be proud of for years to come.”
These two medical facilities are much needed in southern Sarasota County, which is home to SMH-Venice Hospital and HCA Florida Englewood Hospital, a 100-bed acute care hospital.
Community Health Systems Inc. closed the 312-bed Shore Point Health Venice hospital in August 2022, leaving a critical gap in the region’s medical infrastructure.
HCA Englewood Florida also plans to build a freestanding emergency room in Waylon Park.
What is the construction schedule?
SMH aims to lay the foundation stones for both campuses in 2025, coinciding with the 100th anniversary of the hospital, which opened on November 2, 1925 with 32 beds.
Over the next few months, architects and contractors will meet with SMH officials to develop a master plan and cost estimates for review and approval by the Sarasota County Public Hospital Board of Trustees.
The hospital’s board of directors reached a consensus at a 2023 strategic planning meeting to initiate development of both projects, but formal approval has not yet been received.
Both projects will require approvals and permits from the City of Northport.
Flooding following Hurricane Ian, considered a 1-in-500-year flood event, revealed drainage issues at the Sumter Avenue exit of Interstate 75, demonstrating the need for significant investment in stormwater control to ensure that hospitals are not affected by future isolated by the storm.
Last September, while discussing Ian’s ongoing impact, Deputy City Manager Jason Yarborough said the city wanted to work with owners of undeveloped land surrounding the overpass to improve drainage there.
What will the hospital look like?
The 32-acre site at 4900 N. Sumter Ave. is planned for a 350,000-square-foot facility with up to 200 emergency beds, as well as a 35-bed emergency department and a 24-bed observation unit.
The hospital could be built in phases similar to the construction of SMH-Venice.
The plan also calls for a parking garage for 600 to 800 vehicles and a surface parking lot for 500 to 700 vehicles, a 20,000-square-foot central energy plant and a 60,000-square-foot office building.
What will the Waylon Park campus look like?
The 28-acre SMH-Wellen Park at 7900 S. Tamiami Trail could have a freestanding urgent care facility of at least 15,000 square feet, with the ability to expand to 30,000 square feet.
Early plans allow a freestanding emergency room to one day be connected to a 300,000-square-foot, 150-bed acute care hospital.
Additionally, there are plans for a 20,000-square-foot medical office building that could double to 40,000 square feet.
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