Economy & Economic Development  June 15, 2015

UCHealth closes purchase of land for Longmont hospital for $9.6M

LONGMONT — University of Colorado Health closed recently on the $9.6 million purchase of 45 acres in Longmont on which it plans to build a new 50-to-75-bed hospital.

The deed was recorded Friday with Boulder County. FHC Investors LLC, which had previously planned to develop a shopping center at the site, was the seller.

The property sits at the northwest corner of County Line Road and Colorado Highway 119. UCHealth first announced plans to build a hospital in Longmont in March before also disclosing the specific location and more detailed plans in a preliminary submittal to the city in April. Last year, UCHealth put down roots in Longmont with its purchase of the Longmont Clinic.

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Spokesman Dan Weaver said in an email that UCHealth is aiming to break ground on the hospital this summer, and that opening is still targeted for late 2016 or early 2017.

The groundbreaking timeline could vary, though, depending on how long the design review process takes with the city.

Brien Schumacher, a senior planner with the city of Longmont, said he expects a formal development-review application from UCHealth as early as this week. After the submittal, surrounding property owners would be notified of the application, and city staff would review it. Comments from the public and staff would be sent to UCHealth, after which UCHealth would submit revised plans for a second staff review. Following the second staff review, the application would go before the city’s planning commission. Schumacher said the earliest the project would go before the commission for approval would likely be September.

UCHealth’s preliminary plans called for the development of 32 acres of the site. The facility would include 172,000 square feet of new construction, including about 47,500 square feet of shell space for future expansion. Construction cost would be in the $100 million to $125 million range.

Weaver said the biggest design change so far from those original plans is the placement of the emergency center, moving it from the east side of the facility to the west.

“We’ve had a great response so far from the community and from affiliated physicians in the area,” Weaver said. “We’ve also held a lot of meetings with staff and physicians from the Longmont Clinic to discuss the design, and with their help we’ve made a number of modifications to help make the new hospital as patient-centered as possible.  We’re also aiming for the building and the construction process to be LEED-certified and as energy-efficient as possible.”

Schumacher said the original plans sought an exception to the 45-foot building height limit allowed in the area for certain architectural features of the new hospital. The plans showed the three-story building rising roughly 50 feet. But certain other features rise 60 feet, while an arch over the main entrance is nearly 80 feet high.

“We’ll take a look at that and see how it fits in for granting a variance or exception,” Schumacher said. “I think overall the building design seems pretty good.”

Schumacher said UCHealth is also seeking more parking than the site is zoned for, an aspect city staff has asked the company to reconsider.

LONGMONT — University of Colorado Health closed recently on the $9.6 million purchase of 45 acres in Longmont on which it plans to build a new 50-to-75-bed hospital.

The deed was recorded Friday with Boulder County. FHC Investors LLC, which had previously planned to develop a shopping center at the site, was the seller.

The property sits at the northwest corner of County Line Road and Colorado Highway 119. UCHealth first announced plans to build a hospital in Longmont in March before also disclosing the specific location and more detailed plans in a preliminary submittal…

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