First suggested about a dozen years ago, plans are now moving forward to construct a one billion dollar ambulatory medical campus in Lexington near Interstate 75. Lexington Mayor Linda Gorton was joined by Baptist Health Lexington President Bill Sisson to provide details of the project expected to create between six to seven hundred jobs.
In addition to major health issues with coronavirus, the disease is carrying a significant economic impact. Gorton thinks the timing of this medical project is an indication of optimism. “I think in fact that this project is moving forward at this time, the fact that it is, says a lot about the confidence we all have in the recovery of our economy. These are jobs with a future for hundreds of our citizens,” said Gorton.
For a 20 year period beginning in 2023, the city is providing incentives for the new Baptist jobs. There will be rebates of the new payroll taxes created by employment. Even with the rebates, Gorton said the jobs will add a half million dollars a year in new payroll revenue.
Bill Sisson, who’s served as president of Central Baptist-now Baptist Health Lexington for more than three decades, calls the project “my dream come true.” The hospital president says COVID-19 has impacted operations and finances in many ways. Sisson hopes to see construction begin about a year from now. “We’re back up to what we were before in terms of volumes. There were so many people waiting to have things done. But, if this thing hits again or there are some other things. There’s so many questions out there that we don’t have the answer to. We would like to start earlier. But, it just kind of depends on how things go,” noted Sisson.
Sisson says the project, more than a decade in the making, will be properly situated. He says 60% of Baptist Health’s patients come from outside Fayette County. Sisson says the mall like medical complex will hopefully be completed in 2024.?
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