A report to be presented to a committee of the Sarasota County Public Hospital Board suggests that the hospital’s next acute care facility be built on a 32-acre parcel it owns at the intersection of Sumter Boulevard and Interstate 75.

The board was scheduled to review the report and make a final decision during a meeting on January 29.

The new 100-bed hospital, with an estimated cost of $450 million, is expected to break ground as part of the hospital’s 100th anniversary celebrations, with an anticipated opening in the fall of 2028.

Extensive Research Behind the Decision

The board had previously discussed the potential sites on November 19, weighing the benefits and drawbacks of the Sumter Boulevard location versus a 28-acre site the hospital owns at the intersection of West Villages Parkway and Tamiami Trail in Wellen Park.

In addition, the health system has already announced plans to build a free-standing emergency room in Wellen Park, with hopes to eventually construct a full hospital there as well.

Flad Architects and Barr & Barr General Contractors, the firms tasked with studying the two sites, have estimated the project’s cost at $450 million.

Alongside the proposed 100-bed hospital, the board will also review plans for a 208-bed campus that represents the first stage of expansion. The projected cost for this larger facility ranges between $615 and $650 million.

SMH has already secured city approval to build a 150-foot-tall hospital at both the Sumter and Wellen Park sites, with designs expected to be identical.

A similar approach was taken with the Venice campus hospital, which opened as a 110-bed facility in November 2021. After Community Health Systems Inc. closed the ShorePoint Health Venice hospital in September 2022, SMH quickly moved to expand the Venice campus. The facility now includes a new tower, increasing capacity to 212 beds, and an expanded emergency department, which grew from 28 to 61 examination rooms.

Source:  Herald-Tribune