by Lauren Krupar
Associate Editor
Three local mayors have joined forces to entice a proposed hospital in northern Summit County to Seasons Road, and they should find out if that will happen within 60 days.
Though local health care officials have not yet decided where the 100-bed facility proposed along Route 8 might be built, the leaders of Hudson, Stow and Cuyahoga Falls signed agreements April 24 to "show the entire community that ... through corroboration, regional economic growth is possible," said Hudson Mayor William Currin.
Cuyahoga Falls officials said the hospital could create $100 million in new investments.
Since officials with Summa Health System and Western Reserve Hospital Partners announced in January plans to bring a new hospital to the area, the three cities each proposed separate locations for the medical facility.
"We came together and asked, 'Are we going to keep beating each other up or are we going to work together?'" Cuyahoga Falls Mayor Don Robart said.
What resulted was what Stow Mayor Karen Fritschel called a "groundbreaking initiative" that could reach beyond the agreement and into other communities.
Currin, Fritschel and Robart signed memorandums of understanding April 24 pledging to create a joint economic development zone near the Seasons Road interchange off Route 8 -- a location containing land in each city -- to lure the proposed hospital.
Michael Rutherford, chief financial officer for Summa Health System, said a final decision would be made within 60 days, but noted the Seasons Road interchange is the "best location" for the proposed hospital.
"This will provide benefits far beyond our wildest imagining," Fritschel said. "This area has become a viable area for development. Since the three communities are there together, it makes sense to work together."
The joint economic development zone would comprise between 80 to 140 undetermined acres in Cuyahoga Falls, Hudson and Stow. Stow would be responsible for providing water, Cuyahoga Falls for providing electricity and Summit County for providing sanitary sewer services.
Cuyahoga Falls also will lead the communities in securing approximately $5 million from the Ohio Job Ready Site Fund for the project. If the grant money is not available -- which should be known by September -- the communities will contribute equal amounts needed to purchase the land for the hospital.
Each community also will dedicate $1.7 million for the construction of the Seasons Road interchange.
"We've taken the strengths of three very fine communities and blended them together," Robart said. "We will share in the risks and we will share in the benefits."
If the hospital is built off Seasons Road, it would be within 20 miles of Cuyahoga Falls General Hospital, Akron General's Health and Wellness Center in Stow, Summa's Health and Wellness Center in Cuyahoga Falls and a planned Cleveland Clinic facility in Twinsburg.
"We understand a lot of hospitals are doing different things in the area," said Rob Kent of Western Reserve Hospital Partners. "This would be a different kind of hospital that we haven't seen in the past."
Kent said the hospital would focus more on patient-friendly care with concierge services a possibility. He added the care would be centered in the community, rather than a large-scale hospital.
E-mail: lkrupar@recordpub.com
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