IU Health Frankfort has cleared its first two hurdles en route to what is hoped to be a new facility coming to Frankfort hopefully in 2021.
Last week, both the Frankfort City Plan Commission and Frankfort Redevelopment Commission gave glowing recommendations to get this project off to a great start. Although just in the early stages, it is important that all entities be on board as IU Health Frankfort, the city and the county must all be in agreement before the Redevelopment Commission gives the final approval.
This agreement is subject to the following conditions: IU Health is requesting the city agreeing to a $500,000 economic development incentive payable over eight years, collaborate with IU Health and the county to raise another $4 million in additional grant support, provide all city approvals requested for the project and provide waivers and discounts for agreed upon city utility connections and services.
According to IU Health Frankfort President Kelly Braverman, the new facility would be quite different from the one currently standing. She said the new facility would be built next to the current facility and would have no more than 25 beds because it is a critical access hospital. The current facility has around 85 beds of which an average of 12 beds per day are being used.
“The current hospital is much larger than what is needed and it cannot meet our current needs,” said Braverman. “I’d love to break ground as soon as possible. I’m just waiting on the process.”
Braverman added they want to vacate Oak Street from White to Hackett. She also said the heliport would be moved from the Clinton County Fairgrounds and be located in the southeast corner of the new facility.
“The new facility will be built behind where the current facility is,” said Braverman. “Once the new facility is built and operating, the old facility will be demolished.”
Braverman said the main part of the current facility was built in 1951 with additions being done in 1979 and 1995.
“We really want to build a hospital the community can be proud of,” said Braverman.
Braverman is making a presentation about the proposed new facility to the Clinton County Commissioners at 9 a.m. Monday.