The planning phase is complete and now design and later construction can begin for a new multi-million-dollar medical facility in Emporia following action by Emporia City Commissioners Wednesday.
During their regular action meeting Wednesday morning, commissioners approved the final plat for the medical office building at Roads 180 and G for Stormont Vail Health. Following the action, KVOE News spoke with Stormont legal counsel Timothy Shultz, who says they are very pleased with the commission’s action and are looking forward to the future service Stormont will be able to provide to the community.
Stormont Vice President Mary Martell also spoke with KVOE News Wednesday and stated Stormont Vail was “grateful” to city leadership for its support of the facility, adding the facility is an opportunity for Stormont to begin “Looking forward to the future.”
As mentioned, approval of the final plat marks the close of the planning phase of the Stormont plan, which dates back to 2022. The plan has met a lot of opposition, specifically from community members and Newman Regional Health. KVOE News attempted to speak with Newman Regional Health representatives in attendance Wednesday, and were given the following statement from Newman CEO Cathy Pimple:
“A new development is coming, and with it, new questions: How do we protect access to care for all? How do we ensure that competition doesn’t come at the cost of community responsibility? These aren’t just hospital questions – they are city questions, county questions, regional and state questions. We invite the community to walk with us. To take a long view. To partner with intention. Not because it’s easy, but because it’s right – for the families who rely on us, right for the neighbors who deserve access to essential care and right for the future we are all working to build.”
Wednesday’s action comes two weeks after commissioners approved a development agreement with the Topeka-based healthcare provider, which included a six-year moratorium on certain medical services, specifically ambulatory services, which had been a major concern for Newman leadership throughout the process. The moratorium, according to Shultz, went into effect the moment the agreement was approved and signed.
The next step in the process will be design work for the facility, with an exact construction timeline not readily available.
In other business Wednesday, commissioners held a public hearing regarding plans to submit a CDBG grant application to the state, seeking $1.5 million, which will be put towards upgrades to the DeBauge Family Sports complex. This plan was first discussed at the most recent Emporia Recreation Commission meeting Monday evening, where the city asked the ERC to consider a financial contribution to the effort.
ERC membership requested more time before deciding on the matter, stating they wanted to have a full understanding of what the project will include, namely, price and scope of work, before voting on the matter. That time was granted with the ERC set to hold a special meeting on Friday, June 27, to further consider the request.
With the city planning to submit the grant on July 2, this creates a very short window of opportunity, something that was both alarming and “frustrating” for City Commissioner Susan Brinkman
Regardless of whether the ERC plans to move forward with a contribution to the project, Deputy City Manager Mark Detter told KVOE News that city leadership was highly confident they would have significant backing from local donors; however, he did not elaborate on those opportunities. There had been some rumblings in recent days that one of those donors could be Stormont, a question KVOE News posed to Detter Wednesday afternoon.
Specifically, KVOE News inquired if Stormont was contributing financially to the DeBauge project, a question which Detter neither confirmed nor denied. He did, however, explain that the Stormont facility will be contributing to the DeBauge complex by adding new infrastructure in its new facility’s development.
Detter also stated Wednesday that while there may be some city tax dollars involved, that is if the ERC chooses to contribute, however, he anticipates the majority of dollars for the project will come either through grants or private donations.
In other business Wednesday, commissioners also approved a resolution amending the parcel type of property located at 4500 West 18th Ave, which will house the new Cedarbrook Meadows development. The action taken Wednesday amends the property from Lyon County agriculture to single-family detached.
Current plans are to construct 120 single-family units on the property. During discussions on the matter between developers and the Emporia Planning Commission, it was requested that the proposed lots be altered from 6,000 square feet to at least 7,000 square feet to better align with zoning regulations in the area.
The planning commission upheld this request during a meeting in March and developers have yet to return for further discussions on the matter.
The Emporia City Commission will next convene on Wednesday, July 2, for its regular slate of meetings.
3:19 pm Wednesday:
Stormont Vail Health’s plan for a new medical office building in far west Emporia can now go from planning to construction.
After Emporia city commissioners approved a development agreement with the Topeka hospital system two weeks ago, commissioners followed suit and voted 4-0 with Jamie Sauder absent to approve the final plat or layout for the property at the southeast corner of West 18th and Road G.
For Stormont Vail, this is a significant step towards moving out of space it has occupied at Newman Regional Health’s Medical Arts Building for decades. It also follows a six-year agreement with the city of Emporia stating ambulatory surgery will not be allowed during that time while setting the stage for the new facility to offer services similar to those now being offered.
Newman Regional Health had opposed the idea when Stormont Vail first began discussing the building in private settings in August 2023 and also since the Stormont plan went public in late October 2023, frequently mentioning concerns about the potential financial impact of duplicated services on the Newman Regional bottom line among other concerns.
We’ll have comment from this component of the City Commission meeting and other points of business during our late news cycle on KVOE.
Statement from Stormont Vail Marketing and Communication Specialist Taylor Bugg
Stormont Vail Health is pleased that the Emporia City Commission has approved the final plat for our new Emporia Clinic. We are grateful for the support over the last two years as we’ve worked through this process. Stormont Vail remains committed to investing in the Emporia community and helping develop a healthier future for all. This milestone puts us one step closer to bringing expanded, high-quality healthcare services to the community, including:
*Specialty and Telemedicine “Pavilion” to support current and future outreach providers
*Expanded imaging services
*Enhanced patient and visitor amenities
Statement from Newman Regional Health CEO Cathy Pimple
A new development is coming, and with it, new questions: How do we protect access to care for all? How do we ensure that competition doesn’t come at the cost of community responsibility? These aren’t just hospital questions — they are city questions, county questions, regional and state questions.
We invite the community to walk with us. To take a long view. To partner with intention. Not because it’s easy, but because it’s right — for the families who rely on us, right for the neighbors who deserve access to essential care and right for the future we are all working to build — together.
