Much smaller medical park gets initial OK

MOUNT PLEASANT — The developer of a 27-acre professional office park for the new East Cooper Regional Medical Center on Monday received preliminary approval of a new design for the project that is much smaller than originally proposed.

Mount Pleasant Health & Science Campus at the new hospital will have 200,000 square feet of office space instead of 293,500 square feet. Cutting the scope of the project will keep the effort on track. Otherwise, a zoning change would have been required. "It would have slowed us down," said Richard Coen, a representative of developer Lowcountry M.O.B. Partners LLC.

Coen appeared before the Town Council Planning and Development Committee, which recommended approval of the scaled-down office park. Council will consider the recommendation Jan. 13. Three years ago, council approved zoning that allows up to 220,000 square feet of medical and other professional office space in the affected area.

As currently designed, the office park would include two four-story medical office buildings of 70,000 square feet each and a two-story, 20,000 square-foot medical office building. Construction of a 70,000-square-foot office building is scheduled to begin in March.

Town Council approved a Planned Development-Economic Development zoning district in December 2005 for the tract, including the new hospital and the office park. The district established the 220,000-square-foot limit on medical offices and related retail uses.

The council committee on Monday gave the green light to an "impact assessment" for the hospital office park. The hospital already has received the necessary approvals.

The new $153 million, 140-bed hospital near Von Kolnitz and Mathis Ferry roads will replace the 104-bed East Cooper Regional campus near Bowman Road and U.S. Highway 17. Completion is scheduled for spring 2010.

East Cooper Regional's replacement facility is one of two major medical centers that will be competing for patients in the town. Roper St. Francis Healthcare hopes to open its $143 million, 85-bed hospital off U.S. 17 near Wando High School in late 2010. The company also plans a 90,000-square-foot medical office building next door to help attract on-site health care providers.

Reach Prentiss Findlay at 937-5711 or pfindlay@postandcourier.com.