The building, at 744 E. Dixie Drive, will be the first facility of its kind in the city, West Carrollton City Manager Townsend has said.
KHN has not released specific plans since announcing in 2017 its intent to build in the city. The land transfer became a three-way deal with the city and the county landbank program. Company officials did not respond to inquiries in time for this article.
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But “they have committed. They have a design team working on it,” West Carrollton Economic Development Director Michael Lucking said. “They’re working through that process and it will be something the community’s proud of when it gets built.”
It’s unclear how much KHN will spend on the facility, he said.
Since 2017 the city has demolished a car wash that sat on the land, which is now vacant. The signage will help re-enforce KHN’s resolve as it seeks to firm up plans and finalize its real estate, Lucking said.
“I think it’s important for the community to see that Kettering Health Network has committed to the site,” Lucking said. “And they’ve agreed to put up some signage as a placeholder.”
Kettering Medical Center acquired seven parcels of land in that area from the county in August 2018 for an undisclosed price, county records show.
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Each of those properties – including five at 744 E. Dixie - were less than an acre and at or near the intersection of West Alex-Bell Road, according to the county auditor’s website. If KHN acquires any more land, Lucking said he doesn’t expect it would push the health network’s combined space much past 4 acres.
KHN in recent years has been involved in a series of deals to accumulate land across Southwest Ohio. Since 2016 it has purchased dozens of acres in Greene, Miami, Montgomery and Warren counties in seeking to expand. The system now includes eight hospitals and more than 120 outpatient facilities.
The West Carrollton site is expected to be a “front line” medical facility estimated to be about 20,000 square feet, Lucking said. Based on conversations with KHN officials, it is likely to include family practitioners and specialists, he said.
The land for the site is among several parcels totaling more than 20 acres in a one-mile strip of East Dixie Drive that the city has cleared through demolition in recent years.
The city is working to redevelop the Dixie/Central Avenue corridor along with the Great Miami River near Interstate 75 with the vision of turning it into a multi-million dollar entertainment district.
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KHN LAND DEALS
In recent years, Kettering Health Network has acquired a series of properties in other areas around the region. Plans have been announced for some, but not others.
Oakwood
Bought an Oakwood office building in 2017 for $2.6 million. The network said then that it wanted to have physician services at 2600 Far Hills Ave., though no specific project has been started or announced.
Middletown
Confirmed in 2017 it had purchased a former Middletown motel near I-75. It is now a new medical center and emergency center.
Centerville
Bought 10 acres in 2017 near the Cornerstone of Centerville for $1.8 million. It hasn’t yet announced specific plans.
Bought an office for $1.1 million in June 2017. It is now the Years Ahead Health Center for adults 55 and older, which opened in December.
Piqua
Bought 7 acres in April. It is building a $30 million emergency center and medical office at 308 S. Looney Road that should open in early 2020.
Troy
In 2017, bought land on the 600 block of West Main Street and built a new hospital which opened June 18.
Xenia
In 2016, bought land for $3.4 million. The land became the home of the recently opened REACH Center on Progress Drive.
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