NORTH PORT, Fla. — Sarasota Memorial Hospital (SMH) celebrated the groundbreaking of North Port's first hospital on Friday, as an increasing number of healthcare providers flock to one of the fastest growing cities in the country.
WATCH: Sarasota Memorial breaks ground on North Port's first-ever hospital:
“I mean we have the land, we have the opportunity, we have the population," said North Port Mayor Phil Stokes. "So it’s only a matter of time before we truly become the south county medical mecca.”
The nine-story hospital will open with 100 beds, said Jeff Wesner, president of SMH North Port. The hospital will offer intensive care, surgical care, and emergency care. There will also be a medical office building with physician practices and parking. The campus is located on the east side of Sumter Boulvevard, near the I-75 interchange.
As south Sarasota County population expands, so does SMH's preence. The health system opened a Venice hospital in 2021. Wesner said that hospital reached capacity within three weeks.
“The [North Port] population really requires full-scale hospital,” Wesner said.
North Port's population exploded from 57,357 people in 2010, to 85,099 in 2022, according to the city. Realty website Quicken Loans ranked North Port the second-fastest growing city in the U.S. in 2023.
Stokes was asked how the community is reacting to North Port's first hospital. His reply was simple.
"It's about time," Stokes said. "It's about time.
SMH is already planning for future growth. In July, the SMH board voted to add three additional floors of shell space to the hospital. That doubled the hospital's capacity to to 208 beds.
WATCH: Sarasota Memorial Hospital expands plans for North Port's first hospital
Shell space won't be immediately used. But the additional floors give SMH flexibility to quickly expand, Wesner said.
SMH said the hospital will offer a wide-range of programs, including cardiology, orthopedics, and neurology. The hospital is expected to be completed in fall of 2028. SMH also operates a freestanding emergency room off Toledo Blade Boulevard that opened in 2009.
The hospital isn't the only healthcare facility coming to North Port. This week, the city's development director updated commissioners on several new projects. Development Services Director Alaina Ray cautioned commissioners some of the plans are in the very early stages.
Orlando-based AdventHealth purchased a 17.4 acre parcel of land off U.S. 41, Ray said, in between Salford Boulevard and Cranberry Boulevard.
Advent proposed a standalone 24-bed emergency room, Ray said. Future phases could include a full-scale hospital and medical offices. Advent discussed a possible five-story, 120 bed hospital on the site, Ray said.
"These are very preliminary, potential, and [AdventHealth] they're very non-committal on future phases," Ray said. "There is no timeline for this. But it is public record and it's significant."
FOX 4 reached out to AdventHealth for more information. A spokesperson said the healthcare system isn't ready to speak about the project yet.
Other plans are in the pipeline. Texas-based Exalt Health operates rehabilitation hospitals around the country. Exalt announced plans to build a 40-bed rehabilitation center off U.S. 41, Ray said, in between Pinot Drive and Mezzo Drive. Exalt also plans to build a 40,000 square foot medical office on the same piece of land, Ray said.
A new VA center is coming to North Port. The Sarasota Herald-Tribune reported that Bay Pines VA Healthcare System will replace it's Port Charlotte clinic with one in North Port. Ray said the clinic will be located off Price Boulevard and Main Street, near City Hall.
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