Priority Planning Area 3

Planning Policies & Priorities

“The pursuit of economic vitality and City betterment will not be achieved short of a fully energized implementation plan and investment effort. Downtown Hopewell should be the City’s highest priority.”

1

Hopewell Comprehensive Plan – 2018 | 2023

Chapter V1: Health Care District – Priority Planning Area 3

The64-acreHealthCareDistrictaimstocreateasustainableprimarycarefacilitysupportedbyadequatelandareatoaccommodatetherangeoflandusesandservicesneededtoraisetheCity’scommunityhealthmetrics(seeCommunityHealthchapter).

Priority Planning Area 3: Health Care District

TheHealthCareDistrict(PriorityPlanningArea#3)isboundedbytheAppomattoxRiveronthenorth,theDowntownHopewellDistrictontheeast,North7thAvenueonthewest,andWestBroadwayAvenueonthe south. Situated within the Route 10 entrance corridor, the goal for the district is to ensure thecontinued vitality of the existing hospital and improve community health. The City recognizes thatcommunityhealthneedsextendwellbeyondthedoorsof thehospital: Factorsessential toHopewell’shealth care objectives include medical offices, hospital support facilities, housing for health workers,medicalgoodsretailers,pharmacies,dietarysupportfacilities,andhealtheducationopportunities.

The designated planning area offers the appropriate location for both primary care expansion andsupplemental,butcrucial,healthcaresupportuses. Fromageographical standpoint, thedistrictoffersexcellent development potential for these uses as well as complementary enhancements to the City’sprimaryentrancecorridorandtheDowntownHopewellDistrict.

2

Hopewell Comprehensive Plan – 2018 | 2023

Chapter V1: Health Care District – Priority Planning Area 3

Land-lockedhospitalsinotherVirginiacitieshavehadtoeitherrelocateORobtainpublicsectorplanningandlandacquisitionsupporttoincreasesustainablelandholdingsorservices.

ThedistrictposesshortcomingsthatstandinthewayoffulfillingmanyofthePlan’sgoals.Aesthetically,it isnotaswelcomingandaestheticallypleasingas itshouldbeforresidents,visitors,andtourists. Thestreetsystemispoorlyconfiguredandunsafestreetintersectionscurrentlyexistinthedistrict.Housingconditionswithinthedistricthavelongbeenthecenterofrevitalizationdiscussions,butlittlepoliticalormaterialenergyhasbeenappliedsincethe2001Plantobringaboutneededimprovements.Housinghascontinued to deteriorate and absentee landowners have not initiated upgrades on their own. Mosthousing isnear theendof its real-estate life-cycle,and, for themostpart,uncoordinatedrehabilitationeffortswouldnotcontributetocommunityhealthenhancementstrategies.Since 2001, numerous housing plans have identified scenarios for the area, ranging from incrementalrehabilitationtosubstantialredevelopment.However,theseplanshavebeendevoidofattentiontotheCity’scriticalhealthcareconditionsanddeficits,failingtomaketheconnectionbetweenqualityoflifeforits citizens and long-term sustainability of health care services within the City. When compared withprimary care centers throughout the state, the existing hospital land holdings provide little room forgrowth. Overthepastgeneration,hospitals insimilarsituations–MaryWashington,MarthaJefferson,Winchester,Radford, tonamea few–haveabandonedconstricteddowntown locations. The facility isessentially landlockedby the river, Route10andmarginal landuses. Itwill notbeable to adequatelyservethefuturelocalandregionalmarketplacewithoutadditional,close-by,readilyavailablelandarea.

3

Hopewell Comprehensive Plan – 2018 | 2023

Chapter V1: Health Care District – Priority Planning Area 3

PriorityPlanningArea3 is configured into threeprincipal sub-areas,eachwith itsowndominant setofuses:thePrimaryCareExpansionzone,theMedicalServicesandSupportzone,andtheMixedResidentialandOfficezone.ThesolepurposeofthePrimaryCareareaistoensurethattheexistingJohnRandolphHospitalhasroomtogrow.Withoutthisroom,futurecorporatehealthcaredecisionmakersmaylikelyquestion the viability of remaining long-term in this location. Below, the exhibit depicts theminimumareathatwouldsufficetoaddapproximately35%to50%expansioncapacitytotheprimarycarefacility.Asimilaramountoflandwouldberequiredtoprovidesupplementalservicesandusesforafull-service,regionalhealthcaresystem.TheMedicalServicesareasouthofRoute10shouldbeformallyrecognizedandreservedfortherangeofpreviously mentioned uses essential to renew and expand community health care needs. TheMixedResidentialandOfficesub-areawouldofferlocationscomplementarytothehospitalandmedicalsupportuses. An essential deficit in most health district planning is the lack of adequate nearby housing fordoctors,nurses,medicaltechniciansandtheirfamilies.

4

Hopewell Comprehensive Plan – 2018 | 2023

Chapter V1: Health Care District – Priority Planning Area 3

TheActionPlan

The action plan for the Health Care District revolves around amenu of concurrent initiatives, each ofwhichwillrequireengagementbytheCity.ASmallAreaPlanwouldbethefirststepintheprocess.Theplan would identify primary land acquisition targets as well as the capital improvements necessary tocatalyze redevelopment objectives. To ensure success, the City must pro-actively engage with JohnRandolphinterests,propertyowners,andhealthindustryprofessionalscapableofadvancingthegoalofachieving a healthier Hopewell. A detailed Small Area Plan for the district would include specificstrategiesandinitiativestopursuethoseactiontopicslistedbelow:

! Route10Gatewayenhancements

! DevelopUDASmallAreaPlan

! CoordinationwithJRMedicalCenter

! SelectedCitypropertyacquisition

! CorridorIntersectionImprovements

! HealthCaredeveloperrecruitment

! North6thAvenueimprovements

! ImplementRiverWalkPlan

! LongRangeCIPcommitment

! Coordinatewithpropertyowners

! Housingupgradeincentives

! Enhancepublichealtheducation

! LandUseopportunities

Withcarefulplanning,theareahasexcellentphysicaldevelopmentpotentialtoservetheabundantheathcareneedsoftheCityand itssurroundingarea. Theplanonthefollowingpageprovidesan illustrativescenarioforfuturebuild-outopportunitieswithintheHealthCareDistrict. ThePrimaryCareExpansionsub-area could potentially expand into the eight acres contiguous to the hospital. Assuming an urbanfloorarea ratioof1.0 -1.5,up to350,000 to500,000square feetofbuildablespacecouldbe realized.Theexpansionareaassumestheavailabilityof the land immediatelytothenorthwestandsoutheastofJohn Randolph property. The 22-acre Medical Services and Support sub-area will require substantialredevelopment,includingredesignofstreetintersectionsandinterioralignments.If redevelopedtocontemporaryurbandensities, fullbuild-outof thedistrictcouldyield in therangeof435,000to870,000squarefeetofmedicaloffices,hospitalsupportfacilities,housingforhealthworkers,medicalgoods retailers,pharmacies,dietarysupport facilities,andhealtheducationopportunities. TheredevelopmentoftheMedicalOfficeandResidentialSupportsub-areacouldyieldupto180residentialunitsand390,000square feetofofficeandretail space ifdevelopedatanurbanFAR=1.0. While thisdensity level may appear optimistic in light of the present-day marketplace and health environs, it isreflectiveofactualhealthcaredistrictdevelopmentsinotherurbanVirginialocales.

5

Hopewell Comprehensive Plan – 2018 | 2023

Chapter V1: Health Care District – Priority Planning Area 3