UPMC hospital proposed for Newbury development
A UPMC medical facility may be coming to Newbury Market in South Fayette.
Brett Malky, president of the Newbury development, announced during the South Fayette Planning Commission meeting March 23 a proposed partnership that would bring a UPMC hospital campus to Newbury as an anchor of the development.
“One of the premier health systems in the world, UPMC, wants to build a medical campus at Newbury,” Malky told the planning commission.
A medical facility would require the approval of a conditional use plan for roughly 16 acres of the Newbury property to allow for a research and technology park zoning. The conditional use plan was approved by South Fayette Township Planning Commission during the meeting and recommended to the township supervisors.
Roger Altmeyer, director of community project development for UPMC, told the planning commission the “overall vision” is to bring a medical facility into the township that has both in-patient and out-patient capabilities.
“We’d be very excited to bring another medical facility to South Fayette,” Altmeyer said, alluding to the Children’s Hospital campus built recently at the former Star City site on Millers Run Road. “Planning is very much still in flux relative to this facility.”
Altmeyer said detailed land development plans for the building wouldn’t be ready for discussion for two or three months, but did mention the potential inclusion of an emergency room, patient beds, physical therapy areas, specialty and primary care physician offices and even a helicopter landing pad for patient transport. He likened the proposed size of the building to the UPMC East building in Monroeville.
“We hope to put our program together and be in a position to bring that land development application to the municipality for review of an actual product,” Altmeyer said.
The combination of in-patient and out-patient care raised questions from the planning board and residents in attendance regarding the taxability of the building. Under Pennsylvania law, hospitals are entirely tax-exempt, but out-patient medical facilities, like the UPMC Children’s Hospital location at the former Star City site, are taxable.
Altmeyer was unable to tell the planning commission what percentage of the building would be taxable, saying that would be determined as part of the land development application that would be submitted to the township after the conditional use plan has been approved.
“Through our land development application and discussions with the municipality prior to the submission, we’ll work through exactly what parts of these buildings are taxable and which are not because they’re part of a hospital,” Altmeyer said.
Planning Commissioner Beverly Herndon expressed concerns over the benefit of the UPMC building in South Fayette.
“I’ve been a resident of South Fayette for 38 years, and I want to see nothing but the best,” she said. “Is it going to be a beneficial to the residents? Even it’s a little percent (taxable). Even if it’s something.”
The conditional use plan will now go to the township commissioners for consideration.
“If there’s one thing we can all agree on,” Malky said, “is that it’s time to go. (This) allows us to build a project as a whole.”