It's highly debated land that now has a new proposal.
Neighbors in West Toledo got to hear detailed plans from developers hoping to build a physical rehab hospital on the former Sisters of Notre Dame’s land.
Neighbors at Thursday’s meeting had a rather positive response to the new plans from Encompass Health, opposed to how they felt when Kroger tried to come in at Monroe Street and Secor Road. While some are excited, others want to be a part of the discussion and have some suggestions to make this proposal work for everyone.
Encompass Health is looking to build a 40 bed inpatient rehabilitation hospital on more than eight acres of land formerly owned by the Sisters of Notre Dame. This would create a $27 million investment in the city and create more than 80 full-time jobs.
"I just hope that this goes through this time,” said Pat Francis, a West Toledo resident. “We don't need any more stores, we don't need any more liquor stores, we don't need any more anything else and this is going to be more private; I think it's going to be better."
Some in the community are rooting for the short stay post-acute care facility, saying we need more options like this in our area.
"There's only one other rehab hospital in Toledo and that's over in the South End,” said Tom Leffler, a Maumee resident. “I think we need another one that could compete with that."
Encompass Health has more than 130 facilities across the country with four currently in the Buckeye State. This would be their first in Northwest Ohio and their current plan is to expand the proposed facility within five years (not needing any additional land) to 80 beds and add close to 40 more full-time jobs.
Encompass is still in process of purchasing the property from Kroger. That purchase is contingent on the change from the residential zoning to commercial office use with a special permit. The Planning Commission is recommending to rezone all 18 acres, even though the facility only is looking to buy eight acres. Some neighbors fear what else could come.
"I'm okay with what you're doing,” said Valerie Diem, a neighbor. “I'm just worried about the rest of it."
City leaders explained the new request for zoning is much different than what Kroger was allowed, and what's being proposed meets the city's master plan. While some agree with the rehab hospital's plans, others from surrounding neighborhoods are asking that they consider getting rid of a large fence that blocks off the property and that they use native plants on the property.
"We don't think it's necessary (the fence)," said Paul Hollenbeck, a West Toledo resident. “But we think it's actually pretty, kind of an unfortunate intrusion on the way the site is handled and the history of this site."
"I encourage you, even if you're not required to do it through your landscaping plan, to incorporate nothing but natives,” said Peggy Daly-Masternak, another West Toledo neighbor. “Around that pillar, I see those plantings, all of that could be native."
There is still a lot to be discussed about the project. First up is the rezoning of the property, that's expected sometime this summer, and if all goes according to plan there could be construction late into 2019 or in early 2020.
