UNCHealth plans to build the UNC Health Rex Wake Forest Hospital on 51 acres it is purchasing from Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary, land behind the Wake Forest Crossing Shopping Center. There is access by Agora Drive.
The hospital is expected to cost about $462.13 million when it is built and will be an acute care hospital with up to 50 beds and two operating rooms. Alan M. Wolf, the director for news and media relations at UNC Health Rex, said UNCHealth Rex has a letter of intent to purchase the 51 acres, part of 146 acres lying between the seminary and the shopping center, which is also on land formerly owned by the seminary.
As for when we will see the hospital, Wolf wrote in an email: “On Aug. 15, we submitted a proposal with the state’s Certificate of Need office, part of the N.C. Department of Health and Human Services. We expect there will be a public hearing on our project in October, and then a decision about six months later.
“We are eager to break ground, begin construction and start to provide much-needed medical care to residents in that region, closer to home.”
Wolf also said: “Many patients that UNC Health Rex has historically treated come from northern Wake County and Franklin County, two areas of the Triangle that have grown quickly even relative to Wake County’s overall fast growth. The development of a new hospital in northern Wake County is a significant investment in the accessibility of care and will enable patients in that area to conveniently seek high quality care at a UNC Health Rex facility closer to home.”
And: “The new hospital will have a 24/7 emergency department.
“UNC Health Rex opened a similar community hospital nearly three years ago in Holly Springs, another fast-growing region of Wake County. That hospital quickly became an important destination for medical care, with higher-than-expected emergency department visits, surgeries, baby deliveries and more.”
The news about the community hospital has made all parties happy. Wake Forest Town Manager Kip Padgett released this statement on behalf of the town:
“UNC Health approached Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary (SEBTS) and the Town of Wake Forest in late spring to discuss the acquisition of land owned by the Seminary located behind Wake Forest Crossing Shopping Center (Capital Boulevard and Stadium Drive). The Town and SEBTS have a successful history of partnerships to assist each entity in meeting the needs of the community.
“Mayor Vivian Jones stated: ‘We are fortunate to have such a dedicated partner as SEBTS. Their dedication and impact to our community is essential to our success.’
Town Manager Kip Padgett stated: ‘The impact of this proposal will enhance the delivery of medical care not only for Wake Forest but other communities as well. The Town is ready to assist in helping make this project successful.’
Jason Cannon, the Town’s Economic Development Director and WFBIP (Wake Forest Business and Industrial Partnership) President stated: ‘The Town created the WFBIP to grow the tax base and create employment opportunities within Wake Forest. This project will be a game changer in the creation of jobs for UNC Health and auxiliary uses that support UNC Health.”
For the seminary, Executive Vice President Ryan Hutchinson used the above first paragraph and then said:
“The potential of this project is very exciting for the Seminary and the Wake Forest community. This project will meet two of our top priorities. First, it will provide an enduring legacy and meaningful impact for the town and surrounding communities. Second, it will assist in growing our endowment as we seek to fulfill our organizational mission.”
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The land that will be used by the hospital is a small portion of the 615 acres Dr. Calvin Jones purchased in 1820, moving from Raleigh to a corn plantation with a new house. Twelve years later he sold the property to the North Carolina Baptist Convention and left for Tennessee. The Baptists bought the property to begin a school for future Baptist ministers which became Wake Forest College, now Wake Forest University in Winston-Salem. What became Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary moved onto the campus as the college was preparing for its 1956 move to Winston-Salem.
Wake Forest has had two hospitals. The first, the Wake Forest College Hospital, was a two-story square building with double porches at the northeast corner of Durham Road (South Avenue) and Wingate Street. It apparently was also used by the faculty families and some townspeople, and there was an inside wall with the names of mothers and their babies who were born there. At some point, maybe about 1912 or so, it was decided the tender sensibilities of the male students should not be traumatized by the sounds of women giving birth. It is unclear what year the hospital was built or when it was closed and torn down.
The second was a part of a county-wide small hospital construction program, five in all. The one in Wake Forest was built on South Allen Road in 1960 but was not opened until 1963, when local complaints grew louder. It was a 20-bed hospital with an emergency room and operating room. Every Wake Forest and Youngsville doctor used it. The Wake Weekly ran a list of patients each week and there were numerous articles in the newspaper about the hospital. That enthusiasm waned with the years as did the patient count. Finally, when there were only five patients the county closed the hospital. Through the years since it served as a surgical center and for other purposes, and it is now owned by a private company.
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8 Responses
Hi wakeforestgazette.com webmaster, Your posts are always informative and well-explained.
No one is talking about the 2-lane rural road in the front? What are the plans for the 1/2 BILLION dollar development? We need more info and that is what this “blog” should provide.
RIP WakeMed. This is a big loss for them.
Wow, this is great news! A hospital with an emergency room is much needed in our area, and will bring bring some great healthcare job opportunities as well.
Is this land the same plot behind kohls that was designated for the “business and tech park” a few years ago?
It Was also the Live-Work-Play possibility. The land has many little streams and the seminary will not sell to anyone who will have alcohol sales.
I hope something will be done about the traffic in that area on Capital. That is probably the worst area that always gets backed up for miles, so make plans to fix that before building a hospital or we’re going to have a huge traffic disaster!
If you don’t like the traffic, you’ll have to move north. Less resources and options. It is what it is. People that complain about growth have to move out of the zip code.
I’m ecstatic about this proposition of building a UNC facility in Wake Forest. A hospital is very much needed in this area and will be beneficial for the residents and surrounding communities. NO MORE HAVING TO GO 18+ miles for medical care. Great job SEBT for providing this land acquisition.