Thursday, September 21, 2006
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Thursday, September 21, 2006 |
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Community | Obits | Editorial & Columnists | Society | Sports | Education | Classified Ads | Calendar of Events | Features | Newsbriefs | Legals | Archives | Subscriptions | Photo Gallery |
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Commons takes shape; hospital to anchor next phase By BARRY BURLESON A mission of developers Lance Forsdick and Kenneth Farrell is large projects in small towns. The representatives of Kenlan Development and the Kenneth Farrell Co., respectively, were guest speakers at a meeting last week of the Holly Springs Rotary Club. They focused on one of their many projects, the new Holly Springs Commons. “Part of our recipe is raising the bar,” Farrell said, “so people don’t leave town and give tax dollars to other communities. “We want to bring the large town experience to smaller markets.” One business, AutoZone, is already open on the initial 16 acres of commercial development adjacent to highways 7 and 78. Eight other outparcels are available. Two of those are under contract – one to Wendy’s and another to Captain D’s. Those restaurants should open by March 1 of next year, Forsdick said. “Two other national restaurants are looking,” he said. A 35,000-square-foot shopping center is built and almost ready for tenants. “About 45 percent of the shopping center is leased,” Forsdick said. Those signed up include a Mexican restaurant, Hibbett’s Sporting Goods, Rent-A-Center, a liquor store, a Chinese restaurant and Advance America, he said. The “anchor” for the entire 200-acre Commons will come in Phase II, according to Farrell, and that will be a new Alliance HealthCare System hospital. “That will be a huge thing to accelerate this project,” Farrell said. Hospital administrator Perry Williams said Williams Medical Clinic will first relocate to The Commons. A ground-breaking will be held this fall. It will be moving from its present location on Access Road, which the city plans to purchase for police department headquarters. He said the clinic was built in 1997 with 7,000 square feet. Three years later it was expanded to 11,000 square feet. The new clinic will include 30,000 square feet and expanded services. A ground-breaking will likely be held next spring for the new 100,000-square-foot hospital, a $30 million project. “We saw the need for a new facility in 1997 when the hospital was first purchased by Dr. (Kenneth) Williams,” Williams said. “It’s 10 years in the making, and it’s coming to fruition.” Other plans for the new hospital campus include medical offices, a medical supply area, a health and wellness center and a building for allied health. “These are some of our dreams,” he said. Alliance HealthCare System is now located on Highway 4 East in a building owned by the county. “We are free and clear of debt, and we have a certificate of need for 40 beds,” Williams said. Farrell praised the partnership involved in development of the Holly Springs Commons. “If you’re aspiring to grow, partnerships are crucial,” he said. He complimented Mayor DeBerry and the city, Sen. Ralph Doxey and the state, Dr. Williams and the hospital, and landowner Frank Swords. “You need all the energy and partnership you can muster,” Farrell said. “You can’t do a project this size without that type of partnership. It takes people stepping up and making financial commitments.” Farrell and Mayor DeBerry also announced another huge boost to The Commons – a $3 million grant from the state for infrastructure improvement, which will include the extension of West Boundary. “That will open up more development opportunities and also relieve congestion on Highway 7,” Farrell said. Kenlan Development is in charge of the first 16 acres of The Commons, and the remainder of the project is being overseen by the Kenneth Farrell Co. Report News:
(662) 252-4261 or south@dixie-net.com
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