If all goes according to Stormont Vail Health’s plan, the Topeka hospital could start construction of a nearly $45 million medical office building by spring 2026.
Stormont Vail issued a news release late Wednesday morning, following votes by the Emporia-Lyon County Metropolitan Area Planning Commission to recommend approval of two requested items, one for rezoning nearly 17 acres of land near Roads 180 and G as city property instead of Lyon County property and the other for a preliminary plat, or project layout. Tuesday’s votes by the Planning Commission forward the Emporia City Commission for final action, perhaps as soon as March 19.
Stormont Marketing and Communications Specialist Taylor Bugg says the hospital will present its final plat to the Planning Commission at its meeting March 18. If that is recommended for approval, the plat goes before city commissioners the following day. If plans are then approved by city commissioners, Stormont Vail will then finalize its design and construction plans while applying for building permits needed to complete the building.
Stormont has occupied space in the Newman Regional Health Medical Partners office space for years and has been identified as Stormont Vail’s Cotton O’Neil Clinic for three decades. It will now change names to Stormont Vail.
Following concerns about transparency with the proposed building and related processes as mentioned in Tuesday’s meeting, Bugg reiterated Stormont’s plans to transfer all its staff to the new facility — as well as to have new technology, virtual and telemedicine equipment, consultation rooms and “enhanced wayfinding.” Services will all transfer over from the current Cotton O’Neil space:
Primary Care
*Family Medicine
*Internal Medicine
*Pediatrics
*Behavioral Health
*Case Management
*Social Work
Specialty Medicine
*Allergy, Asthma, Immunology
*Cardiology
*Endocrinology
*Nephrology
*Occupational Health
*Orthopedics and Sports Medicine
Imaging
Laboratory Services
Surgery, a key concern of Newman Regional Health as part of a lengthy list of concerns with the Stormont project, will not be added for at least five years as part of an agreement reached last year. Both sides finalized a two-year lease extension for the Cotton O’Neil Clinic to stay at NRHMP last fall.
