Licking Memorial begins addition to West Main medical campus

NEWARK – The two-story medical office building Licking Memorial Health Systems opened two years ago on West Main Street is already insufficient to meet its growing needs, so the building will double in size.

Licking Memorial planned a future addition to the building at 1717 West Main St., when it opened in September 2016, to house Center For Sight, Licking Memorial Family Practice and Licking Memorial Orthopedic Surgery.

An $11 million project, adding 32,210 square feet, is under construction and should open in about a year for the relocation and expansion of physical, occupational and speech therapy services.

“We didn’t have a specific timeline at that point (in 2016) when we’d need additional space," Licking Memorial president and CEO Rob Montagnese said. “We’ve seen continued increase in our volumes, which is a very positive sign for a community hospital.

“Our orthopedic volume is up, as a whole, in our community. Because of some of the advancements, a lot more folks now able to take advantage of the physical therapy.”

Therapy services and community wellness will be located on the first floor, and physician offices will be on the second floor of the new section, which will be south of the existing structure.

The project also includes an access road from the expanded building to the east, connecting with South Terrace Avenue. LMH has contributed $150,000 to help pay for a new traffic signal at West Main and South Terrace to provide easier access to the medical campus.

City Engineer Brian Morehead said traffic studies and projections show the need for a signal, expected to be installed in the spring. The new signal and access road will help motorists avoid a left turn from West Main into the building's parking lot.

The therapy services will be moved from Tamarack Building 4, at 1865 Tamarack Road, into the new addition. Some of the Building IV space may be used for a pediatric practice, Montagnese said.

“We’ve done a number of renovations to the building, but additional space is needed," Montagnese said of Building IV. "It's been there as long as I can remember, for about 25 years."

The building addition may not mean an increase in employees, at least not immediately.

“I don’t really know," Montagnese said of the need for more employees. "It’s really more of a redistribution of services we already provide. Maybe some small increase, based on volume increase.”

In 2016, Licking Memorial Orthopedic Surgery moved into the building from 36 McMillen Drive, and Center For Sight moved from 1371 W. Main St.

Once the new addition is completed, interior work will begin at 2000 Tamarack, to create pre-operating rooms and post-operating rooms there, so gastrointestinal procedures can be done at the hospital or 2000 Tamarack, Montagnese said.

Licking Memorial, which has 34 buildings in the county, has room for another similar-sized building just south of the current construction. LMHS consists of more than 2,000 employees.

“The local community supports us by receiving their care from us," Montagnese said. "It’s very positive for a community and for us when they come here for their procedures.”

kmallett@newarkadvocate.com

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Twitter: @kmallett1958