$7.5 million pediatrics center to break ground this October in Amherst

AMHERST — Akron Children's Hospital plans to invest $7.5 million in a new medical center on Cooper Foster Park Road near the Hollstein Reservation Metro Park. The 23,000-square-foot facility will be built on 4 acres on the south side of Cooper Foster next to state Route 2. Following unanimous approval Wednesday by the Amherst Planning Commission, CamBrad Development intends to break ground later this month. Developer Shaun Brady said the project is compliant with all zoning regulations and codes — that means no City Council approval will be needed, and the project is greenlighted. "We're very excited to be here in Lorain County, and this is certainly an opportunity for us to provide high-quality health care close to home," said Brian Lapolla, vice president of facilities, planning, construction and public safety for Akron Children's Hospital. He said the center will improve access to pediatric health care, and called it "one of the latest enhancements of our partnership with Mercy Health Lorain." The two health care companies announced in August they would team up to improve child health at facilities in Oberlin and Lorain. The Amherst building will offer primary care, radiology, lab services and specialties such as cardiology, gastroenterology and maternal fetal medicine, Lapolla said. It is scheduled to open in December 2021 after more than a year of construction, and it will be staffed by about 50 employees. Mayor Mark Costilow said he has a child with disabilities and recalls making a lot of trips to Cleveland over the years to get services that can't be found in Amherst. He said he remembers driving to Cuyahoga County and hoping to find a room at the Ronald McDonald House for a couple of nights. Akron Children's Hospital will bring a much-needed service to residents of Lorain, Erie and Huron counties and hopefully eliminate the need for longer-distance travel, he said. "Even more than the income revenue we'll get from this, it's the service they'll be able to provide to families who need pediatric specialists," he said. "I think they've put a lot of thought into it and I'm excited they're coming." Brady said another 3 acres directly to the east of the medical center will be ready for development by the end of this year. A traffic study was completed at the city's request, he said, and it showed no significant impact on nearby roads. Planning Commission member Terrence Tomaszewski questioned that conclusion. With the new Mercy Health Bitar Medical Center and two new housing developments close by, he anticipated issues at the intersection of Cooper Foster and Oak Point just to the west. Costilow said Amherst has been eyeing that intersection for years. On Monday, he plans to introduce an economic development plan to City Council that could result in a complete overhaul of the traffic pattern there. Costilow said he is interested in creating a tax increment financing district with neighboring Lorain, which could divert tax money to pay for major upgrades. There are four potential plans for rebuilding the Oak Point commercial corridor, with a potential price tag of $14 million, he said. The TIF was being explored long before Akron Children's Hospital expressed interest in its medical facility, Costilow said in a follow-up interview. He said the commercial development plan is intended to draw businesses to long-vacant farm fields in the area. Contact Jason Hawk at (440) 329-7122 or news@lcnewspapers.com.