Baptist Health to build 200,000 square foot Cancer Center

[edjax]

With two world class cancer treatment / research centers already in Jax (Mayo Clinic & UF Proton Therapy Institute) it's interesting that another is choosing Jacksonville, especially since UF Health, as a university system, is so entrenched in the area already.

Simply put, it is because there is high demand.  Proton Therapy has proven to be highly successful to a multitude of cancer types; both in terms of remission rates and in the effects on the patient. After spending the past year going through chemotherapy and radiation treatments for pancreatic cancer, the doctors have done what they can and it stopped growth, but still need to reduce the mass size before I can consider surgery. Proton therapy is the only way to do this (10 years ago, I would've been classified as terminal); these are my anticipated wait times for the waiting lists I am currently on, keep in mind I applied to these centers in May, 2014:

Sloan-Kettering (my primary care provider): Summer/Fall 2015
UF Jacksonville: 20-24 Months (as of Sept. 1, 2014)
Penn Medicine-Roberts: Target April, 2015
MD Anderson Orlando: January-March, 2015

The reason for these times is simply due to demand, they can only treat so many people at a time, and the machines necessary are high cost so there aren't many in the nation when you consider all the types of cancer it can treat.

This is a huge benefit to Jacksonville, just look at 3rd & Main in Springfield to see the benefits that something like this can have on the community.

Have you checked with the Ackerman Cancer Center in Mandarin?

[BoldCityRealist]

The only building that miiiiiight work for them would be the old JEA building.... It's still about 50,000 square-feet too small and I doubt it's up to spec/code for a cancer center. While I'd love to see that building re-purposed I highly doubt it would be possible. It makes the most sense for them to expand on their current campus. It would help fill in the South Bank sky line a little more too.

I LOVE this building. Wish some Metro Loft style development would take over here, could be a rad addition to the apartment scene in the core.

[jaxjaguar]

Just so you can see another project that gave us pretty renderings, but never came to fruition....

http://www.dasherhurst.com/portfolio/independent-life-building/

[IrvAdams]

The only building that miiiiiight work for them would be the old JEA building.... It's still about 50,000 square-feet too small and I doubt it's up to spec/code for a cancer center. While I'd love to see that building re-purposed I highly doubt it would be possible. It makes the most sense for them to expand on their current campus. It would help fill in the South Bank sky line a little more too.

I LOVE this building. Wish some Metro Loft style development would take over here, could be a rad addition to the apartment scene in the core.

I love the building also. I used to work there back in the day when it was JEA's HQ, and the high-rise Robert Myer Hotel was across the street. beautiful building, harkens from the marble building days, when things were built with rock and steel. Reminds me of the Aetna building across the river.

[thelakelander]

Update:

Baptist Health, which will begin partnering with Houston-based MD Anderson Cancer Center to provide cancer care under the latter’s name in Jacksonville, is planning for the first phase of that collaboration set to launch in fall of this year.

Initially, the joint program will be housed in the Baptist Outpatient Center at 1235 San Marco Blvd., where the Hill Breast Center is located. This temporary home will be replaced by a new 200,0000-square-foot building which will begin the design and build process in the coming months, with an expected opening in 2017.

This dedicated facility — for which officials have still not finalized a location — will be designed to serve a range of cancer care needs, from screening and diagnosis to treatment and survivor support.

Full article: http://www.bizjournals.com/jacksonville/news/2015/05/01/with-plans-for-baptist-md-anderson-collaboration.html

[jcjohnpaint]

There was a nice article in the Resident.  It mentioned the site would be on the south side of the overland bridge.  Based on the street listed, it did not make any sense where exactly this would go.  I am assuming it would be built on the surface lot closest to the highway.

[jcjohnpaint]

Sorry here it is:
http://residentnews.net/2015/05/03/bulldozers-clear-baptist-md-anderson-cancer-center/

[thelakelander]

Interesting. I wonder how tall this thing is going to end up being? Sounds like a great coup for that section of San Marco Blvd.

[jcjohnpaint]

given the size of 200,000 prob 5-7 stories.  I do hope they build it in context of San Marco Blvd. 

[tufsu1]

^ the Shands Cancer Hospital in Gainesville is on a somewhat larger site, but is 8 stories with 400,000 square feet.

[simms3]

This is huge news.  MD Anderson is a major brand in healthcare, akin to Mayo Clinic, et al

Also, infill.

[Tacachale]

This is apparently pretty huge. My understanding is this will on the block west of San Marco and north of Children's Way. The block is now a few buildings and surface parking areas owned by Baptist and an office building, which they may have acquired. Or rather, it was until recently, as the clearings have already started. I'm sure it will be a few floors, I don't think you could fit 200k square feet on that whole block, at least not if there was still some space for parking.

[jcjohnpaint]

Well I hope this image show up, but this is the 100,000 sqft building in NJ/ 4 floors

[jcjohnpaint]

sorry 5

[Jason]

Awesome!   I was thinking about this project a few days ago.