The city of Woodbury and Inspira Health on Tuesday announced plans for the Woodbury Health and Education Innovation District, a development set to include housing, retail, a hotel and health care components.
The Innovation District will be headquartered on the former Woodbury hospital campus and add elements such as market-rate housing, a Center for Innovation in Community Health, with attached hotel conference center and restaurant, convenience retail offerings and senior housing to complement the health care services currently provided and planned on the campus.
On behalf of Inspira, CBRE has taken on the role of master developer, moving the planning forward and holding discussions with potential developers regarding individual components of the Innovation District.
“We are pleased that Inspira Health offered the community the opportunity to provide their input to the emerging Woodbury Health and Education Innovation District plan,” Woodbury Mayor Kyle Miller said. “As something that will impact the community for the better, we are delighted with the ongoing collaboration and dialogue across stakeholders to develop a plan that will meet the unique needs of the community. We look forward to working alongside Inspira, the county and the state to further develop and implement the plan.”
Over the past nine months, Inspira has been conducting a multiphased, multiyear construction and redevelopment project on its Woodbury campus, working closely with CBRE. The redevelopment project includes a newly remodeled medical office building and family medicine center; a new state-of-the-art facility that will house the 24,900-square-foot, 19-bed satellite emergency department and 21,500-square-foot 20-bed inpatient behavioral health center; and a new EMS station.
“The new Woodbury Health and Education Innovation District plan is consistent with our commitment to serving as a strong community partner, as well as enhancing access to modern health care for the residents of Woodbury,” Warren Moore, executive vice president and chief operating officer of Inspira Health, said. “Our Woodbury campus will serve as an essential component for providing high-quality care to the community and will be a center for innovation and a haven for current and future employees.”
Investment in the Woodbury Health and Education Innovation District plan will be in addition to the $12 million in upgrades made to the existing Inspira medical office buildings and the more than $60 million for the new building that will house the Emergency Department and Behavioral Health program.
The Woodbury Health and Education Innovation District plan seeks to integrate health and economic development by coordinating and integrating investments in clinical and social services, as well as commercial and retail expansion.
The city of Woodbury will be hosting a series of community discussions where the proposed plan will be presented in more detail, allowing for additional community input with Inspira, CBRE and Dynamis representatives in attendance. Planning will continue in earnest over the next several months.
