Hospital buys former Drug Mart

SANDUSKY — Firelands Regional Medical Center announced it bought the former Drug Mart property at Columbus and Perkins avenues to open a new primary medical care center. The hospital has not decided whether to renovate the existing building or tear it down and put up a new building, said Rob Moore, vice president for Firelands Physician Group. A study will be carried out immediately to determine the most cost-effective plan. The hospital wants its new primary care hub to be open for business by early 2021.Moore said the hospital plans to offer a facility unique to the Sandusky area, with a focus on primary care, serving newborns and patients in all stages of life.The building will be the new location for Firelands Physician Group Pediatrics, Family Medicine, and Internal Medicine and supporting services such as a laboratory and imaging. It provides a location easy to access for people in Sandusky and Perkins Township, Moore said. The idea is to have a "one-stop-shop," providing convenience for patients and offering the latest technology, he said.Moore said the hospital paid Colonial Village Realty Company, located in the Columbus area, $1.85 million for about four acres of property and two buildings, the Drug Mart building and the building housing Papa John's Pizza and Verizon.The property came in four parcels — Drug Mart, a strip behind the building, a strip between the building and the Kroger grocery store, and the Papa John's/Verizon building.Papa John's and Verizon will continue to lease their space from the hospital, Moore said."We're not looking to do anything with that for the foreseeable future," he said.The new primary care center is a project of Jeremy Normington-Slay, who took over as Firelands' new CEO last fall."This is Jeremy's first big construction initiative," Moore said. Normington-Slay came up with the idea of the primary care hub with the help of his team, Moore said.Moore said the hospital is working with HED, a Detroit-based architecture and engineering firm that specializes in health care, and John Hancock & Associates, a local surveying and engineering firm. HED worked on the hospital's main tower and other Firelands projects.This fall, HED will help the hospital figure out whether it makes more sense to use the 20,000-square-foot Drug Mart building, more than enough space for the existing primary care team, or build new. The hospital has done both in recent years, Moore said, citing a former Blockbuster Video building in Port Clinton that was renovated."I think it really comes down to a cost issue," Moore said.If the cost is close with either option, the hospital will erect a new building. If totally new construction is a much bigger cost, Firelands will have to decide if it's worth it, he said.If the building is renovated, it will get a new facade with the Firelands colors and will resemble other hospital buildings. If the hospital puts up a new building, it will be 5,000 to 10,000 square feet larger than the existing building to accommodate possible growth.The project likely will help Firelands recruit and retain primary care physicians, Moore said."It doesn't hurt if you've got a nice facility and a nice flow," he said.Current Firelands primary care doctors praised the new venture."I am excited to be a part of Firelands' new initiative to provide more comprehensive team-based care that has shown to improve patient outcomes," said Dr. Niharika Juwarkar, M.D., a Firelands Physician Group internal medicine physician. "The new primary care center will have a well-rounded balance of physician specialties and other ancillary services to support and serve our local community."Dr. Thomas Conley, DO, a family medicine doctor with Firelands Physician Group, also said he's pleased."I feel this new facility will continue to improve primary care in Sandusky and increase convenience to the patient experience," he said.Firelands Regional Medical Center purchased the former Drug Mart property at Columbus and Perkins avenues. The hospital has not decided whether to renovate the existing building or tear it down and put up a new building.Rob Moore