Well, folks, Venice is about to get a whole lot taller – at least in one spot. The Venice City Council just gave preliminary approval for Sarasota Memorial Hospital to build structures up to 150 feet tall on their 65-acre campus. That’s potentially a 10-story medical tower, which would definitely change our skyline.

The Big Vote

The vote was 6-1 in favor of creating what they’re calling a “Planned Public Hospital District.” Only Council Member Ron Smith voted against it, and he had some pretty strong words about why.

The new zoning would let SMH-Venice follow the same design standards as the downtown Sarasota campus and the planned North Port locations. Think of it as keeping the family architecture consistent across all their hospitals.

What This Means for Healthcare

Our current SMH-Venice is a 212-bed hospital that’s been bursting at the seams. They just finished a $90 million expansion of their emergency department, increasing emergency beds from 28 to 61. There’s also a $29 million expansion planned for radiology and MRI services.

The new tower would let medical staff, food delivery, and visitors move vertically via elevators instead of walking those endless hospital corridors we’ve all experienced. Anyone who’s ever tried to find a specific department in a hospital knows how much of a maze they can be.

Why One Council Member Said No

Ron Smith made it clear he supports the hospital but couldn’t get behind the 150-foot height limit. “The discussion should not be about our love of this hospital,” Smith said. “It should be about our fealty to our comprehensive plan and our love of our city and its current scale.”

He also worried that this move would create a monopoly in Sarasota County healthcare, potentially keeping other providers from setting up shop in Venice. Smith seemed concerned that the City Council would lose control over future development along the Laurel Road corridor.

His take on vertical versus horizontal hospital design? “The discussion of vertical being more effective than horizontal is nonsensical to me,” he said. “In fact, what we’re doing is approving a vertical on top of a horizontal platform.”

Why Six Council Members Said Yes

Mayor Nick Pachota and Council Member Rick Howard, both with emergency medical backgrounds, emphasized the efficiency of elevator travel to clustered services. Howard put it simply: “I can tell you from an efficiency perspective, coming down one floor rather than walking across an acre to get to your patients, or for those patients to receive their services, is an efficient way to build a hospital.”

Pachota noted that residents have been asking for more healthcare options in Venice for years. “I don’t want to dwell in the past,” he said. “I think it should have been done a long time ago.”

Council Member Rachel Frank was excited about the comprehensive services this expansion would bring to Venice residents. She pointed out that when her first two children were born, SMH-Venice didn’t even offer those services – a gap that ShorePoint Health Venice (which closed in 2022) never filled.

The Economic Angle

Council Member Kevin Engelke highlighted how the hospital has been an economic driver for the city, attracting private businesses that do pay taxes. “To me, this is a gift,” he said.

And he’s got a point. Recently, a private rehabilitation hospital, medical office buildings, and at least one hotel have either opened near Laurel and Pinebrook roads or are in the planning stages.

The People vs. Height Debate

Vice Mayor Jim Boldt had perhaps the most direct response to concerns about building height: “It is overutilized and it needs to grow. To worry about eight stories vs. the people that live here and the fact that they need good health care and this is their only option is mind-boggling to me.”

The Reality Check

Look, nobody wants Venice to turn into Miami Beach with high-rises everywhere. But when you’re talking about healthcare, the equation changes. This isn’t about luxury condos or office buildings – it’s about making sure families can get the medical care they need without driving to Sarasota, Ft Myers, or Tampa.

The hospital has been installing benches in its corridors because the walks between departments are so long that visitors need to rest. That tells you something about the current layout challenges.

What’s Next

This was preliminary approval, so there are still more steps in the process. But with a 6-1 vote, it’s pretty clear which way the wind is blowing.

The existing hospital wings weren’t designed for vertical expansion, so any new tower would likely be a separate structure. At 150 feet, it would be visible from quite a distance – a new landmark for Venice.

Competition Concerns

Smith’s worry about creating a healthcare monopoly might be overblown. HCA Healthcare West Florida operates hospitals in Sarasota and Englewood and recently opened free-standing emergency rooms on the 41 bypass, also in Wellen Park. They’re even planning a sister hospital in Wellen Park.

So while SMH-Venice might be getting bigger, it’s not like they’ll be the only game in town.

The Bottom Line

Healthcare infrastructure isn’t sexy, but it’s essential. Whether you love or hate the idea of a 150-foot medical tower in Venice, most people can agree that having quality healthcare close to home is important.

As families continue moving to Venice and our population ages, the demand for medical services is only going to grow. The question isn’t whether we need more healthcare capacity – it’s how we want to provide it.