Mercy Regional Medical Center has requested an amendment to its planned development agreement seeking approval for the construction of a three-story 80,000 square-foot office building located to the north of the main hospital building.
The request will go before the Durango Planning Commission at 5 p.m. Dec. 5.
The proposed building would include an ambulatory surgery center as well as various other outpatient clinical practices. Centura Health, which owns the facility, eliminated 350 positions at 19 of its facilities in Colorado and Kansas in late September citing economic hardship. It remains unclear why the hospital is seeking to expand facilities weeks after laying off staff.
Representatives of the hospital did not respond to a request to comment.
The proposed office building would sit between Nighthorse Circle and Primrose Circle on an undeveloped part of the property. The proposal says that the previously approved planned development agreement proposed a different site for future development, but that the location for which the company is now seeking approval is preferred. The hospital would rather reserve the previously identified areas for the development of inpatient services because those areas are closer to the existing hospital building.
The hospital also noted parking concerns if it were to construct an office building at the previously proposed site given that it would simultaneously remove existing parking while creating a need for more.
The city is accepting public comments on the proposal, which may be submitted to Dan Armentano at dan.armentano@durangogov.org or 375-4850.
rschafir@durangoherald.com
