Is Continuing Care on Marco’s Horizon?

Projects that would create an assisted and independent living and memory care facility on the island and bring major updates to the Marco Healthcare Center buildings could become a reality in the not too distant future.

A rezoning request is slated to be submitted to the city in late March for the continuing care facility, which would occupy a five-acre parcel that’s now part of the South Heathwood Drive campus of the Healthcare Center, which includes the Marco Urgent Care Center and a separate medical office building.

Plans call for BRW Development Partners to purchase the parcel from the center’s owner, Naples Community Hospital, said Walt Chancey, Sr., who’s a partner in the company. Both he and Betsy Novakovich, the Urgent Care Center’s director of emergency services, said the funds would then be used to revitalize the existing buildings.

“NCH plans to dedicate any proceeds from the sale of the property to renovate and upgrade the Marco Health Care Center, specifically, Marco Urgent Care Center facilities, ensuring that the community continues to have access to high quality, convenient health care services and facilities,” said Novakovich.

BRW would develop the continuing care facility and architectural duties for it and the NCH project would be handled by Chancey Design Partnership, for which Walt Chancey is managing partner.

“We will be developing a continuing care; independent living, assisted living and memory care facility,” he said. “This will be a state-of-the-art, all levels of care so people can age in-place, with all the amenities and services, from rehabilitation through wellness and fitness, and amenities such as movie rooms and dining rooms.”

Chancey said the facility would contain about 200 housing units, half dedicated to assisted living and memory care, and the other half dedicated to independent, agein place living.

The company has developed six such facilities, all located in Florida.

The parcel BRW would purchase is located on the west side of the 12-acre campus, while the NCH facilities occupy about five acres on its east side.

“We think this is going to be a great attribute for Marco,” said Chancey. “We have done very thorough market demand studies, even going so far as doing phone surveys with residents, and the island has a huge need for senior living. There is none. Everyone has to leave the island. So the demand is there and the need is great.”

Novakovich echoed that sentiment.

“As a resident of Marco, I think having it come in is really important because we know we’ve had members of the community who’ve had to leave the island for assisted living when they didn’t want to,” she said. “I think that’s really important overall for the island. We don’t want to see our residents have to leave anymore.”

If the projects receive the necessary governmental approvals, a new urgent care would be built to the south of the existing office building, and the existing office building razed and the office building would receive a renovation.

“For 33 years we’ve been in that same location providing prompt, convenient care to patients with minor injuries and illness and I think the building is in great need of renovation to provide better service,” said Novakovich.

An informational meeting about the projects was held on February 15 at the Marco Island Public Library and Chancey said the response “was all positive.

“It was the first meeting like this that I’ve been to where there wasn’t some negative comment or a neighbor up in arms about something,” he added. “The only negative was they thought we needed more memory care because there’s such a strong need on the island.”

Neither Chancey or Novakovich were able to provide information on the parcel’ price. However, Chancey did say the overall project cost for his company’s facility would be in the $60 million range.

They also stressed the fact that everything is still in the preliminary stages.

“This sale is contingent upon obtaining the approvals from MICA and the appropriate government agencies,” said Novakovich. “That is still in process at this time.”

Chancey said he expects to submit the rezoning request for a Planned Unit Development or PUD, during the third or fourth week of March.

“It will go through a PUD process, public hearings and public site plan approvals during this year,” he added. “We hope to have all approvals by the fall and our goal is break ground by the end of the year or as early in the next year as possible. It’s about 18 months of construction after that.”

Development could also come to the campus’ two unspoken-for acres in the future.

“We are contemplating a possible skilled nursing and an additional memory care unit on the two acres to north in the future,” said Chancey. “If we don’t, Naples Community Hospital will be developing that as an additional medical office building.”