Wolfson Children's Hospital Expands

[Jason]

One thing I noticed is that the view of the "old" Wolfson's hospital will be blocked along I95.  Although, this should be a nice looking addition.

[thelakelander]

This project has been delayed indefinitely.

Pinning their troubles to the same economic forces plaguing the health-care industry nationwide, one Jacksonville hospital is delaying a skyline-altering construction project and two more are putting some equipment purchases on hold.

Baptist Health had planned to get an 11-story tower project off the ground this quarter on the shared campus of its 579-bed downtown medical center and Wolfson Children’s Hospital. But a bone-dry lending market has postponed the $200 million expansion indefinitely, said Hugh Greene, Baptist Health’s CEO and president.

He isn’t alone. Hospital executives across the country are postponing projects big and small, blaming the credit crunch, investments gone bad and a squeeze on cash flow triggered by patients delaying nonessential treatments.

full article: http://www.jacksonville.com/business/2009-01-29/story/area_hospitals_scaling_back_on_capital_projects

[reednavy]

Well that sucks, but not totally shocked.

[ProjectMaximus]

noooo!

[Jason]

That really sucks.  I wonder how much of the total constructions costs needed to be financed?  I would have thought Baptist/Wolfson's would have deep enough pockets to just build it without bring in the lenders.

[ProjectMaximus]

http://jacksonville.bizjournals.com/jacksonville/stories/2009/01/26/daily48.html

[Captain Zissou]

Man, that is some stink right there.

[Jason]

Let's hope that they find a way to make it happen.  There is quite a few jobs that will be created through construction and then occupation.