Sarasota (Fla.) Memorial Health Care System received approval from the Sarasota County Public Hospital Board Sept. 22 to purchase 120 acres in Manatee County for nearly $60 million.
The land deal is contingent upon the system working with Manatee County officials and community leaders to rezone and develop a future campus, according to a news release shared with Becker’s.
In July, the board also approved buying an adjacent 10-acre parcel.
“This investment reflects the kind of long-range planning that has allowed Sarasota Memorial to serve our region for more than a century,” David Verinder, CEO of Sarasota Memorial Health Care System, said in the release. “Healthcare infrastructure takes years to plan and build. Securing strategically located property today allows us to improve our capacity to care for the community now, while enhancing access for future generations.”
The campus’s development would happen in phases, guided by community needs and local, regional and state regulatory approvals. The expansion plans are also driven by increasing patient demand and population growth in the area.
The first phase of the system’s Manatee campus, pending approvals, would include a freestanding emergency department on the 10-acre parcel of land. Other phases may feature primary and specialty physician practices, pediatric specialty care, imaging, diagnostic and laboratory services and other medical buildings.
