PROMEDICA IN SYLVANIA

Medical facility construction ready to begin

Construction begins soon for ProMedica's new facility.

ProMedica Health System is ready to begin construction of a three-story, 230,000-square-foot medical facility in the former Starlite Plaza shopping center in Sylvania.

The $45 million ProMedica Health and Wellness Center is expected to be complete in early 2016.

ProMedica Health system also announced plans this year to build a downtown Toledo waterfront headquarters by renovating the vacant Water Street Station Steam Plant. The company is still working through several issues on the project, including where to build a parking garage for the 700 employees who expected to relocate there.

Dr. Lee Hammerling, ProMedica’s chief physician executive and chief medical officer, said the two projects are independent and the Sylvania site is not an alternate location for the headquarters if the steam plant renovation falters.

“We are going downtown. I will tell you with 100 percent certainty that it is not a back-up site for downtown Toledo,” he said.

A ceremonial groundbreaking will be 6 p.m. today on the 11-acre Starlite Plaza site at 5700 Monroe St., although demolition and other site preparation activities have been ongoing for several weeks, Dr. Hammerling said.

“We have gone through zoning and received all the permits and the final building design has been approved,” he said.

The health and wellness center will house primary care and specialty physician offices, radiology and laboratory services, a pharmacy, optical services, ProMedica AfterHours, wellness services, a community gathering space for educational sessions, and a food pantry.

Twenty years ago a solo practitioner could do a lot but “medicine is becoming a team sport.” Having several doctors and specialists together will give them an opportunity to better communicate and collaborate, Dr. Hammerling said.

Contact Marlene Harris-Taylor at mtaylor@theblade.com or 419-724-6091.