Plans for New Hospital Complex Progress

The Upper Chesapeake hospital proposal got the green light from the Havre de Grace Planning Commission Monday for the first phase of its site plan.

The Upper Chesapeake's proposed new medical campus in Havre de Grace encompasses 97 acres bordered by Interstate 95 and Bulle Rock Parkway, said project engineer Paul Muddiman.

The Havre de Grace Planning Commission recommended approval of the concept plan for the medical campus in September. The next step, presented on Jan. 14, was the site plan, which included more detail about the specific components of the project. A traffic study and stormwater management plan are still forthcoming, Muddiman said, but were not essential at this initial stage.

The new medical campus would be developed in at least four phases, Muddiman said, the first of which is the north complex.

According to Muddiman, phase one would include the following:

• 250,000-square-foot hospital
• 80,000 square feet of medical office space
• 14,000 square feet for a pharmacy with drive-through

More office and retail space would come in phase two. Phase three would include a hotel plus additional office and retail space. Phase four would add more retail.

With construction on phase one projected to begin in 2016, Muddiman said buildout for the entire project would likely occur in 2025.

Buildings on the Havre de Grace hospital campus would incorporate a brick exterior reminiscent of another place in Harford County, said architect Greg Luongo. 

"As folks are approaching this campus, they recognize that it's an extension of the Bel Air campus," Luongo said. He showed slides depicting healing gardens and other natural oases that would "make the campus and the hospital feel less intidimidating...an environment that promotes health and wellness." 

The surroundings include The Paddocks of Bulle Rock, where project leaders held a face-to-face meeting on Dec. 5 to ensure they were on the same page, said Upper Chesapeake CEO Lyle Sheldon. During a City Council meeting in July, residents of The Paddocks testified that they were concerned about noise, light and deteriorating property values as a result of the proposed hospital's proximity to their community.

The buffer between the residential community and the medical complex would consist of 1,000 trees of 10 varieties, Luongo said.

There will be 2,312 parking spaces planned behind buildings to promote a walkable campus, Muddiman said. The hospital with helipad would be on 20 acres, surrounded by 30 acres of open space.

The second phase of development includes an office complex that the Havre de Grace planning department said project engineers may want time to review.

With the Planning Commission's recommendation for approval of phase one, project planners say they will now turn to honing in on the engineering and obtaining approvals through the Department of Public Works.

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