Focus | Groundbreaking development at new WSH
Governor in town to help mark occasion
Story by Chris Graham
freepress2@ntelos.net
With AFP Video
Government doesn’t have a reputation for doing something that makes as much sense as the work that is going into the construction of the new Western State Hospital, which is being built adjacent to the current WSH campus in Staunton as part of a land swap that will give the city highly marketable commercial property at the nexus of Interstate 64 and Interstate 81.
“The clients and staff at Western State Hospital will be the beneficiaries of the development of a state-of-the-art behvioral-health facility. The Staunton community will benefit from the development of a key property at Interstate 81 and 64. And the citizens of Virginia benefit from the cost-effective solution to funding for the new hospital and good stewardship of an underutilized state asset that will generate future tax revenues for the Commonwealth and jobs for Virginians when the existing campus is developed,” Staunton Mayor Lacy King said at the Tuesday-morning groundbreaking at the site of the new Western State.
The $125 million project is scheduled to be completed in 2013. The new 246-bed hospital is a joint effort of the state and the city. The General Assembly committed $110 million toward the new hospital in 2008, with the city kicking in $15 million and the deed to the property off North Frontier Drive that it purchased and began getting ready for development in 1999.
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AFP Video: The groundbreaking
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In return for its $15 million and the real estate, the city gets approximately 250 acres from the state that are currently being occupied by the hospital and are considered prime commercial real estate with access to the Richmond Road/U.S. 250 corridor at the intersection of Interstate 81 and Interstate 64.
“I would describe it as a win-win. I think Staunton is going to get a renovated site, a multi-hundred-acre site where Western State is now, that will be a mixed-use development, commercial and residential, that I think will be a very attractive one. Staunton is attracting a lot of interest because of the great work that’s been done in renovating and reusing historic structures, so that will continue that strategic advantage that Staunton has. And then this facility here will provide state-of-the-art care in a way that I think others will want to come and see what’s done here and copy it,” said Virginia Gov. Tim Kaine, who was on hand for today’s groundbreaking ceremony.
The city and the state began talks about the joint WSH project back in 2005. The state’s interest stemmed largely from the desire to do something to improve operational efficiencies at Western State, which is operating on a 24-building campus that was built to accommodate a patient population that hit a peak of 3,300 in 1963 but is down to 245 today.
Another interest for the state was to design a new Western State based on new models of delivery of mental-health care based on person-centered therapy.
“The perception in the 19th century and well into the 20th century was that mental illness was not curable, that it was simply something to be managed. We have learned a lot in the ensuing two centuries that brings us here today to this new facility, which takes a completely different approach,” Sixth District Congressman Bob Goodlatte said at today’s ceremony.
“We’ve been moving from a model that’s been heavy on the institutionalization side to a model that is more based on community care – smaller institutions, more care in the community, more outpatient services. This new facility really matches up with the right way to deal with mental-health issues. It’s a real step forward in the way we look at mental-health issues,” Kaine said.
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AFP Video: Gov. Tim Kaine talks about the WSH project
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$15,000,000 for 250 acres of the best devolopment land Staunton has to offer.
$150 for Groundbreaking shovels.
1500 days till buildout of old Western State property.
2015 “The look on my face as I drive into the new “old Western state”Shopping area……………………PRICELESS
This is the best thing to happen to Staunton in a while, admist all other failed commercial plans, I beileve this is the one that’ll put a hurting on Waynesboro’s Rosser sector.Prime Interstate 81 frontage.Although The Augusta Marketplace is definitly the biggest obstacle located just miles away at the next exit north,Staunton has secured new land for large box perk sites.The lack of large parcels has made it difficult to locate new suburban box stores in Staunton.
All three municipalities are in competition for the newest “Power Center” clients.
This is becoming a situation called ” Dueling Suburbs “, the competion will be interesting to see the outcomes.
Waynesboro needs to stop playing around and pass Bill Hausrath’s “Waynesboro Place” devolopment so we can get that Best buy in here pronto.
This has more to do with freeing up property in Staunton for supposed retail development than it does with improving the health of those with mental and behavioral issues. Let’s take a step back and look at this fiasco for a second.
(1) While not like the State of California, let’s be honest…our state economy is in shambles. Tax revenue across the board is in the toilet….so what’s the solution? Apparently it’s to allocate $110 million tax payer dollars to build a new hospital that is arguably not really even necessary. Imagine if the legislature had poured just $25 million into the soon doomed hospital for top notch renovations.
(2) Honestly, there are way too many people out there that are flat out delusional to think that for some reason “Power Centers” are just itching to serve a population of less than 100,000 people (or +/-30,000 households) from Staunton to Fishersville to Waynesboro. It just doesn’t work that way folks.
(3) This constant talk of making power grabs of new retail from Staunton to Waynesboro, or Waynesboro to Augusta is just plain silly. Will money be shifted from one locality to another? Yes. Will new revenue, and new jobs be generated for our region? No. It’s a shell game that serves no one because with every retail displacement, someone that you probably go to church with…may have just lost their job.
(4) Did you notice that there are just 245 patients in care right now at the old hospital. A quick calculator tap…and folks, that’s >$510,000 tax payer dollars for each and every patient. I’m all for taking care of those with mental and behavioral challenges, but not when we have to borrow an exorbitant amount of money to build them a high-tech hospital when seniors can’t pay for the medication that they need, a dad has to figure out how to pay the mortgage when the job that he had relied on for 2 decades suddenly shuts their door, or the parents who feel defeated that they won’t be able to send their only child to college.
(5) Lastly (and my personal favorite)…do you know how long it will likely take “Joe-taxer” to recoup to the expense of this $125 million monster? When you consider the interest we’ll all pay for the bond issued, countered to all that “new” revenue pouring into Staunton…it’s somewhere in the neighborhood of 45 years.
45 years of debt, so that Staunton can try and get a Best Buy! Isn’t that great!
This is nothing more than an attempt at legacy-making for an exiting Administration when an Extreme Make-Over would have been just as effective.
Virginia’s economy is not as bad as they have led you to beileve, otherwise this project would have never got off the ground.
Plus Virginia wants to prove to everyone that they are willing to invest in the future of the citizen’s mental health.
Let’s get our demographics straight before you underestimate my home county, Greater Augusta.The Staunton-Waynesboro Micropolitan Statistical area contains more then 115,698 permanent residents.With temporary residents this number is well over a eighth of a million.
The counties of Rockingham, Albemarle, and Rockbridge contribute to the Greater Augusta’s Commercial environment, coupled with the location of the Interstate 81-64 Junction located near Staunton.The Junction makes the area Valuable Prime Real Estate.
BOTTOM LINE : The state of Virginia want’s to invest in this area and they beleive that it is important for the Staunton economy.Why not let them, new construction is always progress no matter how you slice it, and in the long run we will benefit more from progress in the Bells lane corner of Staunton then any other area of Staunton because of the Surrounding Interstate, U.S Route 11, and Route 262 Bypass.
I’d rather have VA spend 125 million in Greater Augusta then all the money the blow elsewhere.
The recession is creating both hardship and opportunity. Those who recognize the opportunity will use this time of uncertainty and high unemployment to improve their marketability. Our collective brainpower is a huge untapped resource, especially among members of minorities. Perhaps with a minority President, who is well educated, other minorities will begin to do what it takes to get the education that the best jobs of the future will demand. Richard Provance, thelearningbooth.com