St. Francis gears up for expansion

August 20, 2007
Back to TopCommentsE-mailPrint
St. Francis HospitalConstruction is set to begin soon on a 417,000-square-foot addition to the Indianapolis campus of St. Francis Hospital (Beech Grove campus is shown here). The $200-million project is slated for completion by 2010 and is being designed by BSA LifeStructures. The 116-foot-tall, six-story addition will be built as part of a 106-acre tract southeast of Emerson Avenue and Stop 11. The design apparently is top-secret, as Property Lines tried unsuccessfully for about a week to get a rendering. So what will the expansion of the Indianapolis hospital mean for the Beech Grove campus? All inpatient and acute-care services will move to the new hospital, but some outpatient services will remain, said spokesman Joe Stuteville. "We're not moving out of there completely," he said. Still, it sounds like they'll have extra space in Beech Grove. What should they do with it?
ADVERTISEMENT
  • HankAugust 20, 2007 2:35 PM
    I was told a few months ago that they were trying to get out of there before the old part met the requirements for historic preservation. They want to tear the old part down so there might not be as much extra space as it appears but that huge tower will be sitting mostly empty. I was thinking some type of long term medical care. Maybe the Damien Center or something like that. I doubt the Beech Grove neighbors would like that but....
    Reply to CommentFlag Comment
  • MMWAugust 20, 2007 3:53 PM
    Affordable housing. Need more low-cost options for the homeless and section 8 applications
    Reply to CommentFlag Comment
  • TishaAugust 20, 2007 5:38 PM
    Condos!
    Reply to CommentFlag Comment
  • DTWaterfillAugust 20, 2007 8:41 PM
    The Damien Center provides client services like counseling for HIV+ & AIDS
    affected people not housing.

    Until not for profits like St. Francis start acting like not for profits instead of
    corporations, they'll continue to abandon what they consider non-profitable
    parts of the city. I'm not surprised they're trying to circumvent historic
    preservationists. If they didn't that would mean they'd actually have to invest
    in the community that has supported them for decades. What a shame that
    would be.
    Reply to CommentFlag Comment
  • SophiaAugust 20, 2007 10:07 PM
    This will be a massive blow for Beech Grove.
    Reply to CommentFlag Comment
  • John DeanAugust 21, 2007 7:22 AM
    Check with the MDC for a copy of St. Francis plans for their expansion to their new hospital. Ask for zoning case 2007 APP 67 . The planners have sketches of what this will look like.

    Also, Beech Grove will close, it is just a matter of time.
    Reply to CommentFlag Comment
  • JAugust 21, 2007 7:37 AM
    DTWaterfill: Though St. Francis Acts as a corporation in doing so the company is saving a lot of money that is in fact returned to patient care. St. Francis provides by reputation charity care to many patients that would otherwise be turned away. Unfortunatly giving so much money to these patients by providing free care means costs must be cut somewhere, therfore renovation which is a high cost vs. expansion must be a sacrafice for the community. Beech Grove is well on its way to looking better and getting new business it does not need the hospital to carry it anymore. Some time of medical facility will be left to the community. There is nothing wrong with building a better facility for patients.
    Reply to CommentFlag Comment
  • Micheal J JohnsonAugust 21, 2007 8:12 AM
    How about taking responsibility for improving the traffic flow around the St. Francis South campus? Luckily, there is the hospital nearby to treat all the traffic accidents around there. Good luck getting in and out of that campus.
    Reply to CommentFlag Comment
  • CDC GuyAugust 21, 2007 8:14 AM
    Non-profits have to act more like for-profit enterprises to survive.

    The truth of charity care is that the hospital has to generate a profit on its paying customers to fund giveaways. In order to do that, it has to be where the paying customers are, or where they will come for services.
    Reply to CommentFlag Comment
  • RJAugust 21, 2007 8:37 AM
    Michael: They are working on the traffic situation over there.

    http://stfrancis-indianapolis.blogspot.com/2007/08/stoplights-planned-for-stop-11-emerson.html
    Reply to CommentFlag Comment
  • Micheal J JohnsonAugust 21, 2007 8:49 AM
    The Homeowner's Associations in those 2 subdivisions next to St. Francis were told that only 1 stoplight has been approved by the city and that is across from the Heart Hospital on Stop 11. That stoplight will have no effect on the heavy traffic on Emerson Ave. The traffic signal on Emerson Ave is only being considered.

    The article I was referred to only shows an internal blog and not in the Indianapolis Star or any external source.

    Is this article written anywhere external ? Thank you.
    Reply to CommentFlag Comment
  • MarkAugust 22, 2007 10:50 PM
    I think the main tower would make perfect housing for seniors. I would hate to see the building torn down.
    Reply to CommentFlag Comment

Post a comment to this blog

COMMENTS POLICY
We reserve the right to remove any post that we feel is obscene, profane, vulgar, racist, sexually explicit, abusive, or hateful.
 
You are legally responsible for what you post and your anonymity is not guaranteed.
 
Posts that insult, defame, threaten, harass or abuse other readers or people mentioned in IBJ editorial content are also subject to removal. Please respect the privacy of individuals and refrain from posting personal information.
 
No solicitations, spamming or advertisements are allowed. Readers may post links to other informational websites that are relevant to the topic at hand, but please do not link to objectionable material.
 
We may remove messages that are unrelated to the topic, encourage illegal activity, use all capital letters or are unreadable.
 

Messages that are flagged by readers as objectionable will be reviewed and may or may not be removed. Please do not flag a post simply because you disagree with it.

ADVANCED SEARCH
Sponsored by
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT