Ohio orthopedic group fights for $70M clinic, seeks approval for backup site — 4 insights

Practice Management

After residents filed a lawsuit to prevent Akron, Ohio-based Crystal Clinic's proposed 160,000-square-foot, $70 million orthopedic clinic, the orthopedic group is seeking approval for a backup site, the Akron Beacon Journal reports.

What you should know:

1. Crystal Clinic has a planning commission-approved site plan for a clinic on Embassy Parkway in Fairlawn, Ohio. Residents of neighboring Bath Township, Ohio, sought a temporary restraining order to block construction after lodging several complaints about the proposed clinic's height and potential noise pollution. A county judge denied the restraining order.

2. While Crystal Clinic would prefer the Embassy Parkway site, the clinic is seeking approval for a site in the business park and submitted a site plan for the planning commission's consideration at its July 11 meeting. The planning commission could issue its final approval for the new site as soon as Aug. 8.

"That's just a plan B is what that is. As a matter of fact, we're still moving ahead on Embassy Parkway like we have the whole time, and that's the direction we're moving in. ... To have a plan B is just good practice," said Crystal Clinic spokesperson Rick Worrell to the Akron Beacon Journal.

3. The alternative site is not without issues either, as the business park is not zoned for a medical development. To address the issue, the planning commission recommended that the Fairlawn City Council amend the city's zoning code to allow specialty hospitals and rezone the business park lot accordingly. The Fairlawn public is invited to comment on the ordinance at a public hearing July 15. The council will only vote on the ordinance if Crystal Clinic decides to move its center to the alternate site.

4. The proposed clinic will feature 12 operating rooms and 60 inpatient beds. Crystal Clinic administrators anticipate opening the clinic in 2021.

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