St. John's annexation and rezoning approved

City Council on Sept. 6 unanimously passed a rezoning and annexation related to the proposed site of a St. John’s orthopedic hospital at the southwest corner of Evans Road and U.S. Highway 65.

The ordinances rezoned 40 acres – 30 acres of which were annexed into the city – to a government and institutional use district.

The hospital system plans to build a 48-bed 149,000-square-foot orthopedic center at the site, which would employ roughly 150 workers. The estimated construction cost for the two-year project is $104 million. Officials have said construction could begin by the end of the year, pending a sale of the 30 acres.

Cora Scott, St. John's director of media relations, said the rezoning gives the the hospital the go-ahead to start construction pending the sale.

Scott said the orthopedic center will serve a two-fold purpose - better and easier access to orthopedic care and freeing up valuable space at the main St. John's facilities.

"With our area population growing so much and growing older, it'll definitely be a growing need," she said.

Read more about the Sept. 6 City Council meeting in the Sept. 13 Springfield Business Journal.[[In-content Ad]]