Hospital construction, renovation and the redevelopment of a neighborhood park were the main topics of discussion at the West University Neighbors meeting Thursday night at the Central Presbyterian Church.
Philip Farrington, director of land use planning and development
with PeaceHealth Medical Group, presented PeaceHealth’s plans to open a new hospital in Springfield and plans to renovate the Sacred Heart Medical Center campus on Hilyard Street, while property owner Bob Quinney discussed his plan to build apartments near the closed West University Park.
PeaceHealth’s new hospital campus, which will be known as Sacred Heart Medical Center at RiverBend, is located on 174 acres about one mile east of Gateway Mall. Farrington said the current Hilyard Street campus, which provides 432 beds, lacks private space for patients and has buildings that have been in continuous use since 1941, is in need of renovation. He said the last major development at Hilyard was 25 years ago.
“So much has changed in terms of technology and the needs of people as well,” Farrington said. “We are maxed out of space and at operating capacity now.”
Farrington said PeaceHealth is planning to spend about $61 million to renovate the Hilyard campus once PeaceHealth finishes construction on its new campus at RiverBend, expected to be completed in summer 2008. He said the Hilyard campus will maintain 104 beds while 360 beds will be maintained at RiverBend.
Quinney answered questions about his plans to build an apartment building in the neighborhood, which may begin construction in August. Quinney, who owns property on the corner of Hilyard Street and East 14th Avenue, completed a land swap agreement with the city to build on the southern section of the West University Park.
The city-owned park is located down the middle of East 14th Avenue between Patterson and Hilyard streets and borders the alley between 14th and 15th avenues. It closed in 1995 when the city said the park was unsafe because of criminal activities in the area, usually resulting from people entering the park unseen through the alley side.
By swapping the southern section of the park with the city for the northern section of his property, Quinney said he plans to build an apartment building along the alley. The park would then border the entire 14th Avenue side of the street. He said he hopes to get the plans finalized this week so he can secure the financing for the project and receive permits from the city to build.
“I’m learning as we go and I’m relying on the builders to get things together,” Quinney said. “All of it looks positive.”
WUN members voted in support of Quinney’s plan to apply for a property tax exemption for owning multiple-units.
WUN member and former chairman Drix Rixmann said that whatever is done in regard to the park, he would like it to be “kick ass cool.”
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