AdventHealth has announced that its land use application with the City of Lakeland, proposing a new hospital at 3838 Harden Blvd. in South Lakeland, was recently unanimously recommended for approval by the City’s zoning board and discussed by the City Commission at the first reading of the entitlement ordinances. The last entitlement step is a final public hearing and final approval by the City Commission at its meeting Sept. 16.
According to Jennifer Wandersleben, regional CEO of the AdventHealth West Florida Division, the vision for the 218-acre site includes a full-service hospital with the potential to expand up to 400 beds as the health care needs of Polk County grow. The proposal also features a free-standing emergency department, a medical office building and designated areas for future residential and commercial development.
“A key element of our design is the incorporation of a significant conservation area. This protected land will remain undeveloped, preserving a peaceful environment for our neighbors,” Wandersleben says.
AdventHealth has served the Polk County community since 2019, beginning with the acquisition of AdventHealth Heart of Florida in Davenport, AdventHealth Lake Wales, and more recently, the opening of the AdventHealth Winter Haven ER, which will eventually expand into a full-service hospital.
“Our goal is to create new jobs and better access to high-quality, whole-person care throughout Polk County,” says Wandersleben.
“We deeply value our ongoing partnership with the City of Lakeland and look forward to continuing to collaborate with the City as AdventHealth completes the entitlement process and begins the development of the Emergency Department and medical campus to serve the residents of Lakeland and west Polk County.”
— provided by AdventHealth