By Letitia Stein, Times Staff Writer
Friday, October 8, 2010
TAMPA — Tampa General Hospital plans a $100 million rehabilitation complex at the entrance to downtown Tampa on Kennedy Boulevard.
The project, which the City Council approved Thursday, will feature 59 patient beds, with room for expansion, and a lodge to house the family members of patients facing long-term stays.
The complex will rise on nearly 10 acres on Kennedy Boulevard that was formerly home to a car dealership, the Ferman Automotive Group. It replaces the 25-year-old rehabilitation center at the Davis Islands hospital.
"We needed a bigger and better rehab facility. We can't build any more where we are," said spokesman John Dunn, noting the location's proximity to the main hospital.
The six-story rehabilitation center will incorporate space for therapy on the patient floors. At the existing facility, the patients have to go down to the first floor for treatment.
It features more private rooms and expanded therapy areas. Site plans incorporate large, green spaces and a medical office building.
Hospital planners lowered the height of the parking garage because city officials wanted a design more suitable to the location, a main downtown entryway.
Tampa General aims to begin construction in about 18 months, Dunn said. He noted that the $100 million cost remains an estimate.
Tampa General has not yet decided how to use the space that will be freed up at its main campus.
Letitia Stein can be reached at lstein@sptimes.com or (813) 226-3322. For more health news, visit www.tampabay.com/health.