MASON, Ohio — Construction planning continues for a new $156 million, 60-bed hospital and medical office complex to be built in Mason by Mercy Health–Cincinnati.
The hospital was granted a variance this week by Warren County for access points to the new hospital on Kings Island Drive. A new traffic signal will be located about 550 feet south of Kings Mills Drive, which is much less than the 1,760 feet that is required by the plan.
Mercy Health said it was willing to fund the traffic improvements, according to documents submitted to the commissioners.
The hospital will be built on the former grounds of the National College Football Hall of Fame and will be fronted on Kings Island Drive and bounded by Kings Mills Road, Columbia Road and Wilson Avenue in Deerfield Twp. There will be no access point from Wilson Avenue.
It will consist initially of a 156,000-square-foot hospital and a 45,000-square-foot medical office building with 611 parking spaces total. A later phase will add 45,000 square feet plus 3,500 square feet of medical offices and 321 parking spaces, according to documents submitted by Mercy Health.
The new health care campus will feature an Emergency Department; a Level II Cath Lab; 60 inpatient beds; eight ICU beds; four operating rooms; create 275 new jobs over five years; and provide convenient access to full-service comprehensive care for Warren County residents, Mercy Health officials said.
A medical office building will be adjacent to the hospital with specialist care, such as cardiology, pulmonology, general surgery, gynecology, gastroenterology and vascular services.
Mercy Health officials also said they will look for future partnerships to identify unmet community health needs in Warren County.
Construction on the new Mercy Health complex is expected to last two years, with completion in the latter half of 2023. Mercy Health officials said patient care is anticipated to begin shortly after construction is complete.
County Engineer Neil Tunison said his office and Mercy Health’s representatives have had a good working relationship in developing plans for the traffic plan for the proposed hospital. He also noted the area is in a high accident area. He said they are supportive of the variance request with conditions in a development agreement and that the county participates in the design.
Rajkamal Jit, who owns the retail center at Kings Center Court and Kings Island Drive that would be across from the proposed hospital’s front entrance, supported the proposed traffic signal.
“This traffic light will also be important for safety purposes. It will make it easier and safer for patients and families to get in and out of the hospital campus,” Jit said in his letter to the commissioners. “Quite frankly the entrance and exit to the hospital will be less safe without the traffic light.”
While Mercy Health officials said there would not be any access points from Wilson Avenue, one resident representing the neighborhood south of the development raised concerns about their small street becoming a short cut to and from the hospital, pedestrian safety as well as stormwater runoff.
Resident Micah Frank told commissioners he was supportive of the hospital coming in, but said the residents would like a shoulder and a sidewalk built on the south side of Wilson Avenue as well, asking the drainage issues to be added to the conditions of the variance.
Commissioner Tom Grossmann recommended talking to Deerfield Township, as Wilson Avenue is a township road.
There are an estimated 234,600 residents in Warren County, and more than 33,800 live in Mason, according to U.S. Census estimates.
The closest hospital facilities to Mason include Bethesda North in Hamilton County, Tri-Health Arrow Springs and Atrium Medical Center in Warren County, and Children’s Hospital Medical Center, The Christ Hospital Medical Center and UC Health’s West Chester Hospital in Butler County.
