Punta Gorda took a quiet but important step toward restoring local hospital care this week. The city’s Board of Zoning Appeals approved a parking variance on Tuesday for AdventHealth’s planned campus off Jones Loop Road near U.S. 41, moving the project past one of its early regulatory checkpoints.
The build-out will happen in phases. It starts with a 12-bed standalone emergency room that expands to 24 beds, then connects to a four-story, 200,000-square-foot hospital with 80 beds and a 30,000-square-foot medical office building. The site sits further inland and close to I-75, a location chosen with hurricane season in mind. AdventHealth is aiming for completion in 2027, though steel and material availability could shift that timeline.
For residents, the stakes are simple. Since ShorePoint Health Hospital closed permanently in 2024 after damage from hurricanes Milton and Helene, many in Punta Gorda have driven to Sarasota or Fort Myers for emergency and inpatient care. Area leaders say the new facility supports families, growth, and quality of life across the Suncoast.
What matters most to you: getting an emergency room open faster, or waiting for the full hospital build-out? Let us know.
