MONROE - After two years of planning and demolition work, Monroe Clinic unveiled new renovation plans for its facility Thursday, with significant changes from its preliminary plans in 2015.
After significant cost analysis, Monroe Clinic's initial plan to demolish the aging St. Clare Center and build on its site a new medical office building has been scrapped, said director of facilities and operations effectiveness Steve Borowski.
While the St. Clare Center will still be demolished, Monroe Clinic will instead expand on the east side of the existing clinic building where there is currently a parking lot, with the St. Clare Center site eventually being replaced by additional parking spaces.
"It keeps the facility more compact," said Patricia Lawson, director of marketing and business development. "We'll have two buildings rather than three, and our patients will be closer to other amenities" such as the cafe.
The eastern portion of the St. Clare Center, built in 1938, was been demolished. The remainder of the center, built in 1970, will stand until the expansion is completed in 2019 or 2020. It will continue to house Behavioral Health services, as well as some administrative offices. Clinic vice president Paula Elmer said the dialysis facilities at the St. Clare Center will be relocated offsite at some point to a new facility whose construction is planned on the west side of Monroe.
A significant factor in the changes was the cost of extending the skywalk that links the clinic building to the St. Clare Center. Borowski said the extension alone would cost $2 million.
However, the new plans will not be without their own costs: Borowski said the current road surface would place the entrances to the clinic and hospital buildings on different levels, which is confusing and difficult for patients, particularly those with mobility issues. In the interest of keeping both the clinic and hospital entrances on the same level, Monroe Clinic will have to physically lower the surface of what is currently 5th Street by about 6 feet, at a cost of about $1.7 million, Borowski said.
To that end, Monroe Clinic plans to acquire two blocks of 5th Street - between 20th and 22nd Avenue - from the City of Monroe. Mike Sanders, president and CEO of Monroe Clinic, said the city has not officially vacated the section of the street, but was optimistic after a planning commission meeting Wednesday.
The clinic expansion will be built around 10 "integrated care team units," which feature a ring of examination rooms built around a central collaboration space for caregivers, Elmer said. The units will minimize patient waiting time and allow for greater collaboration between caregivers.
In addition, the current clinic building, which opened in 1993, will undergo a certain amount of renovation to reflect a similar design principle, although Sanders said the floor plans for the renovation have not yet been finalized.
Lawson said construction on the clinic expansion will begin later this year, as well as remodeling of the current clinic. Construction will continue through 2018 until the expansion opens in 2019.
After the expansion opens, the remaining portion of St. Clare Center will be demolished, with parking and landscaping to be completed in 2020.
As construction commences, Lawson said some growing pains are necessary. Parking will be more limited as the expansion replaces a parking lot and patients will only be able to enter the facility through the hospital entrance. Lawson said Monroe Clinic will be encouraging patients and visitors to take advantage of its free valet service to help them through the process.
Despite the difficulties, Sanders said the clinic will be "in good shape" for years to come after the expansion.
"Our team has done a great job on this," Sanders said.
After significant cost analysis, Monroe Clinic's initial plan to demolish the aging St. Clare Center and build on its site a new medical office building has been scrapped, said director of facilities and operations effectiveness Steve Borowski.
While the St. Clare Center will still be demolished, Monroe Clinic will instead expand on the east side of the existing clinic building where there is currently a parking lot, with the St. Clare Center site eventually being replaced by additional parking spaces.
"It keeps the facility more compact," said Patricia Lawson, director of marketing and business development. "We'll have two buildings rather than three, and our patients will be closer to other amenities" such as the cafe.
The eastern portion of the St. Clare Center, built in 1938, was been demolished. The remainder of the center, built in 1970, will stand until the expansion is completed in 2019 or 2020. It will continue to house Behavioral Health services, as well as some administrative offices. Clinic vice president Paula Elmer said the dialysis facilities at the St. Clare Center will be relocated offsite at some point to a new facility whose construction is planned on the west side of Monroe.
A significant factor in the changes was the cost of extending the skywalk that links the clinic building to the St. Clare Center. Borowski said the extension alone would cost $2 million.
However, the new plans will not be without their own costs: Borowski said the current road surface would place the entrances to the clinic and hospital buildings on different levels, which is confusing and difficult for patients, particularly those with mobility issues. In the interest of keeping both the clinic and hospital entrances on the same level, Monroe Clinic will have to physically lower the surface of what is currently 5th Street by about 6 feet, at a cost of about $1.7 million, Borowski said.
To that end, Monroe Clinic plans to acquire two blocks of 5th Street - between 20th and 22nd Avenue - from the City of Monroe. Mike Sanders, president and CEO of Monroe Clinic, said the city has not officially vacated the section of the street, but was optimistic after a planning commission meeting Wednesday.
The clinic expansion will be built around 10 "integrated care team units," which feature a ring of examination rooms built around a central collaboration space for caregivers, Elmer said. The units will minimize patient waiting time and allow for greater collaboration between caregivers.
In addition, the current clinic building, which opened in 1993, will undergo a certain amount of renovation to reflect a similar design principle, although Sanders said the floor plans for the renovation have not yet been finalized.
Lawson said construction on the clinic expansion will begin later this year, as well as remodeling of the current clinic. Construction will continue through 2018 until the expansion opens in 2019.
After the expansion opens, the remaining portion of St. Clare Center will be demolished, with parking and landscaping to be completed in 2020.
As construction commences, Lawson said some growing pains are necessary. Parking will be more limited as the expansion replaces a parking lot and patients will only be able to enter the facility through the hospital entrance. Lawson said Monroe Clinic will be encouraging patients and visitors to take advantage of its free valet service to help them through the process.
Despite the difficulties, Sanders said the clinic will be "in good shape" for years to come after the expansion.
"Our team has done a great job on this," Sanders said.