Plans for New Lee Health Hospital Campus Underway

From Dr. Larry Antonucci is the President and Chief Executive Officer of Lee Health.

I am so proud to announce that Lee Health is planning to build a new hospital campus in Fort Myers.

The new campus, which will be tentatively known as “Lee Health Colonial Campus,” will expand access to high-quality healthcare in Southwest Florida.

On Oct. 28, the Lee Health Board of Directors approved plans to move forward in planning the new hospital campus in the City of Fort Myers. The property will sit on 52 acres of land along Challenger Blvd. between Colonial Blvd. and Winkler Ave.

The Board of Directors approved proceeding with issuing a Request for Qualifications (RFQ) for architectural services, construction management and commissioning authorities as a first step in developing the hospital campus. The RFQ process identifies well-qualified firms that wish to work with Lee Health to undertake this project.

Our area is one of the fastest-growing regions in the country, and this new hospital campus will ensure that everyone has the access to the quality healthcare they deserve.

We anticipate the Colonial Campus will include an acute care hospital with 216 beds, 16 operating rooms, an emergency department with 30 emergency room bays, and a 16-bed observation unit. An observation unit allows a patient to stay in the hospital while their care team determines whether they need to be admitted or discharged.

The campus will also house a complement of ancillary and social services and will include a Medical Office Building. Lee Health’s data center will move to the new campus once it’s constructed.

As we begin developing the new location, it’s important to note that Lee Memorial Hospital will continue to offer clinical services, including an emergency department, inpatient beds, and surgical services for the Fort Myers community.

Lee Health is committed to working with the City of Fort Myers throughout the process of developing the new campus and will continue to serve the downtown area of Fort Myers. The health system will undertake a visioning process to determine the best use of the Lee Memorial property to meet the needs of the community into the future.

We look forward to working with community leaders as this project moves forward to ensure we are meeting all of the needs of our patients and the region we serve.

This project is the latest in a long line of investments in our community to expand access to health care throughout our region. Gulf Coast Medical Center is wrapping up a $315 million expansion project that will culminate in the transfer of the Regional Trauma Center from Lee Memorial and Lee Health recently announced $150 million in expansion plans in the City of Cape Coral. In 2018, Lee Health opened Lee Health Coconut Point, a full-service medical destination in Estero. Also, in 2017, Lee Health opened the region’s only children’s hospital – Golisano Children’s Hospital of Southwest Florida – a $250 million investment in the community.

The permitting process for the new, state-of-the-art campus is expected to take about two years. After that portion of the project is complete, the build timeline is estimated to take an additional three years. The anticipated opening date of the campus is 2027.

We are committed to keeping you informed throughout this exciting process and will continue to announce detailed plans of the new hospital and services offered as they become available.