Windham hospital plans medical office building

Windham’s planning and zoning commission got its first look at a proposed Windham Community Memorial Hospital medical office building on Jan. 28.

Architects presenting the plan told the commission that if the necessary approvals were attained, they could break ground on the proposed 28,000-square-foot, two-story medical office building as early as this summer.

While hospital officials are planning to construct only one building currently, architects detailed future plans of the hospital, which could include two additional buildings in the same area - north of the upper parking lot on the hospital’s campus. Windham Hospital is located at 112 Mansfield Ave.

The PZC did not take any action on the proposal, as officials were only given a preliminary presentation of a conceptual plan.

Philip Doyle, an architect from LADA PC of Simsbury, offered the commission a timetable.

He said officials are hoping to break ground on the project this summer and that they would come back to the PZC in March with a more detailed plan.

Doyle said a public hearing would be required on the proposal, which could be scheduled in April.

Doyle noted the building would be located on a site at the hospital that has “great access and visibility” along with “tremendous views.”

William Mogensen, an associate with Casle Corp., said there is “pent-up demand” for the medical office building.

He said there aren’t any leases yet for tenants in the building, but based on letters of intent, it appears the building is “substantially committed.”

He said the hospital’s goal is to attract new physicians and it needs a new medical office building to help grow.

“We think this campus will help that a lot,” he said.

Commission members seemed satisfied that the hospital was investing in the community.

“I’m thrilled that the hospital is looking to do an expansion,” PZC member Paula Stahl said, adding that she was glad project planners were considering present and future use of the entire site.

Stahl told the developers she was concerned about parking.

Doyle said the hospital’s current parking lot is full most of the time, but he believes the proposed 150 spaces would be adequate.

“I’m comfortable we have enough parking,” he said.

Stahl said she didn’t think there was an access issue to the building with just one building constructed, but with the two future buildings she said she would be concerned about access.

According to a fact sheet from Windham Hospital, the single building hospital officials unveiled on Thursday would be situated on 2.5 acres of land.

Hospital officials indicated they identified the need and interest in the project both by current hospital staff and affiliated physicians.

They also hope to attract others to house practices and services in an adjacent modern and attractive facility, the hospital said.

Demand will dictate the tenant mix and hospital services at the site but would likely include primary care physicians and specialists, such as surgeons, whose practices require close proximity to the hospital, the hospital said.

Possible services include: pulmonary function testing, oncology services, an expanded sleep studies lab, physical therapy and laboratory services, according to the hospital.

The project is dependent upon regulatory approvals and signed letters of intent from future tenants, the hospital said. Financing and ownership options are being evaluated.

The Casle Corp. has developed projects for Hartford Hospital, MidState Medical Center in Meri-den, the Eastern Connecticut Health Network and Lawrence & Memorial Hospital in New London.

Posted Feb. 3, 2010

Windham Hospital opened in 1933 and serves people from 19 towns in the region, which include Andover, Ashford, Brooklyn, Canterbury, Chaplin, Colchester, Columbia, Coventry, Eastford, Franklin, Hampton, Hebron, Lebanon, Mansfield, Scotland, Sprague, Tolland, Willington and Windham.