The Sarasota County Public Hospital Board on Tuesday approved a $450 million plan to build North Port’s first hospital.
The six-story, 100-bed facility is slated for an undeveloped 32-acre parcel Sarasota Memorial Health Care System owns on North Sumter Boulevard near Interstate 75, according to a hospital press release. It is slated to open in fall 2028.
It will be Sarasota Memorial’s third acute-care hospital and fulfills a longstanding request from the city to have a hospital of its own. With more than 95,000 residents, North Port is the largest city in Sarasota County, in land mass and population, and one of the fastest growing in the nation.
This summer, the board will review and update plans for another hospital slated for a 28-acre parcel on South Tamiami Trail in Wellen Park.
The plan approved Tuesday reflects the first phase of development, which includes a hurricane-hardened, 305,000-square-foot hospital, 60,000-square-foot medical office building and backup energy center.
The hospital will include emergency, medical, surgical and specialty care, as well as diagnostic and outpatient services. The adjacent office building will house primary and specialty physician practices.
“Building a hospital in North Port has been part of our strategic plan and goals for many years, and I could not be more excited to break ground in 2025 during our centennial year,” Sarasota Memorial Health Care System president and CEO David Verinder said after the board’s vote.
“It has taken time to build the medical infrastructure necessary to support the city’s first hospital, but we feel confident moving forward that we have the commitment and resources to ensure its success.”
More than 70 physicians will be recruited for the North Port hospital.
Site preparation will begin immediately, followed by a groundbreaking ceremony later this year. Hospital officials estimate it will take approximately 30 months to complete construction.
The North Port facility comes less than a year after Sarasota Memorial opened a new patient tower at its Venice hospital, adding more than 100 beds. Last month, that campus opened an updated emergency department that more than doubles capacity for urgent care.
