One of the Lowcountry’s leading hospitals is set to construct a new medical campus in the heart of North Charleston.
Roper St. Francis Healthcare announced Wednesday it will invest $1 billion to build a new Roper Hospital Medical Campus at the site of the former North Charleston City Hall off Mall Drive.Ice skating rink coming to Credit One Stadium for the holidays
The campus will occupy 27 acres near I-26 and I-526 which leaders say will make the hospital and its services easily accessible for patients who live in Berkeley, Charleston, and Dorchester counties.
Roper announced in November 2021 that it planned to move off the Charleston peninsula, a move they said would allow patients to “easily access care closer to where they live and work.”
North Charleston’s Finance Committee voted in favor of selling the former city hall building to Roper Hospital on Tuesday evening. City Council then approved the sale in a brief meeting afterward.
“It was a deal we are all proud of. The hospital is something we need. It’s going to bring thousands of jobs. They’re moving the whole campus to North Charleston and that’s a good thing,” said Mayor Pro Tem and City Councilman Jerome Heyward.
“This new medical campus will be a paradigm for providing healthcare, whether that’s complex surgeries in a hospital or an annual checkup in an outpatient office,” said Dr. Jeffrey DiLisi, president and chief executive officer of Roper St. Francis Healthcare. “We made the bold decision one year ago to move Roper Hospital, and I’m grateful to our North Charleston partners for breathing life into this dream. This new campus will ensure our ability to continue delivering the quality care that’s been the hallmark of our brand for generations.”
Roper’s leaders say the new medical campus is expected to include a full-service acute care hospital with a 24-hour Emergency Room. It will also have a medical office building where myriad outpatient and specialty care will be offered.
“We welcome Roper St. Francis Healthcare to the North Charleston hub of economic development,” said North Charleston Mayor Keith Summey. “The new Roper Hospital Medical Campus is the next exciting chapter of this healthcare system’s 167-year legacy, and I am honored that the third largest city in South Carolina can host this tremendous benefit for our citizens.”
The new campus will be the fourth location for Roper Hospital since it opened downtown in 1856. Leaders say it will be technologically and structurally upgraded to better withstand natural disasters, such as floods, hurricanes and earthquakes.
Construction is likely to take up to five years. Important services will continue to be offered on the peninsula to “remain convenient to those in need downtown.”