SARASOTA, Fla. (Feb. 2, 2024) – Sarasota Memorial Health Care System selected an architect and general contracting team and officially kicked off the master planning process this month for two new medical campuses to serve the fast-growing North Port and Wellen Park communities.
Chosen for their experience, qualifications and track record on previous hospital and healthcare construction projects, Flad Architects and general contractor Barr & Barr will work collaboratively with SMH leaders over the next several months to develop conceptual site plans, cost models and construction schedules to help guide the public health system’s highly anticipated expansion into south Sarasota County.
“Our goal is to develop master plans for our two south county campuses that are forward-thinking, financially sound and flexible enough to meet the needs of those communities now and well into the future,” said Sarasota Memorial Health Care System CEO David Verinder. “We look forward to completing this important step in the planning process and working with our governing board, city leaders and surrounding neighborhoods to develop new medical campuses we all can be proud of for years to come.”
The Sumter Boulevard campus is a 32-acre parcel located at 4900 N. Sumter Blvd. The Wellen Park campus is a 28-acre parcel located at 7900 S. Tamiami Trail. The initial scope of work includes preliminary planning for full-service, acute-care hospitals (200-250 beds) with emergency care centers on either or both campuses, along with outpatient facilities, medical office buildings and other facilities needed to support each hospital campus to serve the growing community well into the future. 
Once conceptual plans and cost estimating are complete, SMH leaders will present options and recommendations this fall to the Sarasota County Public Hospital Board for further review. Pending funding approval and regulatory permits, SMH plans to break ground on approved projects in 2025, the same year it marks its 100th anniversary.
About Sarasota Memorial Health Care System
Sarasota Memorial Health Care System is a regional referral center offering Southwest Florida’s greatest breadth and depth of care, with more than 1.5 million patient visits each year across its 2 hospital campuses, freestanding ER, and network of outpatient care centers. Its flagship 897-bed Sarasota hospital has been consistently recognized as one of the nation’s best, with superior patient outcomes and comprehensive network of outpatient. The public health system opened its second acute-care hospital, SMH-Venice, in November 2021 to serve the growing south Sarasota County region. For information, visit smh.com.