One of the area’s busiest retail, housing and student population centers could be gaining a medical prototype.
Baptist Health spokeswoman Cindy Hamilton said Monday the organization is in the final stages of buying land near the St. Johns Town Center to build its second free-standing emergency center in Northeast Florida.
Baptist Health Properties proposes to buy almost 1.8 acres from Gate Petroleum Co. next to the Gate store at St. Johns Bluff Road and Town Center Parkway. Gate Petroleum declined comment, referring questions to Baptist Health System.
The Interstate 295 East Beltway is east of the property, and the University of North Florida is just east of that. Town Center Parkway becomes UNF Drive at the campus.
The city signed an expedited Mobility Fee Calculation Certificate in late January for development of a 15,540-square-foot clinic next to the Gate station, just off the I-295 ramp. The project is referred to as a free-standing emergency department prototype.
The R-A-M Professional Group Inc. is the agent.
Jacksonville-based Baptist Health operates five emergency centers, including the 26,000-square-foot Baptist & Wolfson Children’s Emergency Center at the 32-acre Baptist Clay Medical Campus on Fleming Island at U.S. 17 and Village Square Parkway.
Baptist Health opened that facility, its first off-site emergency center, in May 2013. It treated more than 22,000 adults and children in 2014.
Hamilton said emergency services are in great demand in the Jacksonville area, reflecting a national trend that shows an increasing popularity of advanced emergency care that’s available close to home.
She said emergency room visits increased more than 12 percent in Duval County from 2011 to 2014 and more than 14 percent in the region, according to the Health Planning Council.
Like the free-standing facility in Clay County, Baptist Health’s second emergency center will be staffed 24/7 by a board-certified emergency medicine physician, and pediatric emergency medicine physicians affiliated with Wolfson Children’s Hospital will be available during peak hours, she said.
Its other emergency centers are at its medical centers Downtown, in Southside’s Bartram area, at the Beaches and in Nassau County. Wolfson Children’s Hospital also operates an emergency center Downtown.
Gate adding CNG facility at Heckscher station
Gate Petroleum Co. is adding a compressed natural gas fueling facility at its Heckscher Drive station.
Gate applied to the city for a permit for Trillium CNG to add two new CNG fueling dispensers and a canopy at 4100 Heckscher Drive.
Octane One of Tampa is the contractor for the $402,000 project, including a new concrete foundation, canopy, compressors, dispensers and other elements.
Trillium CNG is a provider of compressed natural gas fueling services.
Speedways making $150,000 conversions
At least five former Hess stations are undergoing a remodel into Speedway at a cost of $150,000 each.
The stations are being remodeled, including interior and exterior alterations that comprise new counter equipment, interior finish upgrades, cooler modifications and adjustments to interior store walls and building systems.
The stores for which permits are being sought are at 9651 Argyle Forest Blvd., 8079 Ramona Blvd. W., 13637 Beach Blvd., 7106 Blanding Blvd. and 9580 Regency Square Blvd. N.
The conversions come after Marathon Petroleum Corp.’s Speedway LLC subsidiary bought Hess Retail Holdings LLC on Sept. 30, including all of Hess’ retail operations.
Marathon said in May the company had three years after completing the deal to convert the company-owned Hess stores into Speedways. Signs were changed in Duval County soon after the sale.
The Speedway website shows more than 30 stores in Northeast Florida.
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