Akron Beacon Journal
July 6, 2018
MASSILLON: A $1.3 million pediatric primary care center operated by Akron Children’s Hospital is planned for a vacant commercial building on the city’s east side.
Work concluded last week to remove a loading dock adjacent to the one-story structure at 1149 Lincoln Way E., where the 14,000 square-foot medical center is slated to be housed.
“It’s going to happen,” said Frank Silla, the city’s chief building official, who provided a building permit application for the pediatric clinic earlier this week to the Independent. “The plans [for the center] were submitted a couple of weeks ago.”
Contractor for the project is A. Altman Co. of Canton, Silla said. There is no timetable for completion of an extensive interior and exterior remodel of the building, he said. Some work already done at the site was electrical and HVAC related.
Holly Pupino, a spokeswoman for the hospital, confirmed that the Massillon location will be a “new office for Akron Children’s Hospital Pediatrics network.” More information, such as the number of exam rooms and amount of jobs, will be available as soon as next week, she said in an email.
Additional details were not immediately available from the hospital.
David Maley, the city’s economic development director, called the eventual move into Massillon by Akron Children’s a service boost for the area.
“Anytime you get more medical facilities here it’s good,” Maley said. “It means more jobs, and they have an excellent reputation for helping kids.”
The opening of a medical center by Akron Children’s is not connected to the city’s effort in securing an operator for the former Affinity Medical Center, which closed last winter, Maley said.
Part of the building where the pediatric center will be located is already occupied by Living Water Church, which is remaining at its current site, Silla said. There will be a space between the church and medical center that is large enough to house a small business, he added.
The 35,527 square-foot commercial building was built in 1970 and is owned by Mass Wales LLC, according to Stark County auditor’s records.
The site is nearly 8 miles away from another Akron Children’s project also contracted out to A. Altman.
The hospital will offer pediatric primary and specialty care at a new three-story, 38,000-square-foot building to be constructed in North Canton on Aultman Hospital property as part of a long-term lease.
That facility is expected to open in 2019 at 6076 Whipple Ave. N. at a cost of $16 million.
Akron Children’s also has plans for pediatric centers in Boston Heights off state Route 8, in Portage County at a location still to be determined and in Mansfield, Akron Children’s Hospital President Grace Wakulchik said in December.
“We want to be closer to patients and families so they don’t always have to come to Akron” for routine care, she said. “We want to be able to provide service to those in the community.”
https://www.beaconjournal.com/akron/business/akron-childrens-hospital-moving-ahead-with-planned-pediatric-care-center-in-massillon