ASHEVILLE, N.C. (828newsNOW) — UNC Health has purchased the Westgate Shopping Center in West Asheville, taking another step toward its plan to build a new hospital in Buncombe County.
Property records show the North Carolina nonprofit health system paid $19.9 million for the shopping center and several adjoining parcels. The acquisition includes the main shopping center at 40 Westgate Parkway, additional commercial buildings and property north of the retail center near Interstate 240.
Built in 1956, Westgate is one of Asheville’s oldest shopping centers and has long been a commercial hub on Patton Avenue.
The purchase comes about a month after UNC Health filed an application with the state seeking approval to build a 92-bed acute-care hospital on the site through North Carolina’s Certificate of Need process.
UNC Health has identified Westgate as the preferred location because of its accessibility for patients in Buncombe County and neighboring mountain counties, including Clay, Graham, Madison and Yancey.
The proposed hospital, known as UNC Health West, would include emergency services, intensive care, labor and delivery, neonatal care, cardiology, gastroenterology, radiology, behavioral health, speech pathology, physical therapy and occupational therapy.
If approved, UNC Health said it expects the hospital to open by 2032.
The project would be developed in partnership with UNC Health Pardee in Hendersonville, which has been part of the UNC Health system since 2011.
“UNC Health has a strong foundation of clinical care and education in Western North Carolina, and we are so grateful for the trust placed in us by patients across the state,” UNC Health CEO Dr. Cristy Page said when the proposal was announced. “As these communities grow, our goal is to grow along with them to ensure increased access to care, closer to home, from the state’s public, academic health system.”
UNC Health spokesman Alan Wolf said the company is still in the early stages of planning for the property and does not yet have answers to all questions about redevelopment.
“While we recently closed on the property, we’re still very early in the planning process,” Wolf said.
Wolf said UNC Health’s current plan is to develop the Westgate site as the home of UNC Health West, but additional infrastructure needs could be considered as plans evolve.
“As we have additional public information available, we will be happy to share those plans,” Wolf said.
The purchase does not immediately change the status of current businesses operating at Westgate Shopping Center. The property remains home to retailers and businesses, including Earth Fare, The Village Potters, Second Gear and others.
UNC Health has not announced a timeline for redevelopment, demolition or construction, and it has not said what the purchase means for existing tenants.
The proposed hospital is one of four competing projects seeking state approval through North Carolina’s Certificate of Need process.
Mission Hospital is seeking approval to add 92 beds at its Asheville campus. AdventHealth has proposed adding 92 beds at its Weaverville hospital, while Novant Health wants to build a 20-bed hospital in Arden.
A public hearing on all four proposals is scheduled for 10 a.m. Aug. 19 at A-B Tech’s Ferguson Auditorium.
UNC Health said the Certificate of Need process is a lengthy review and that it expects a decision on its proposed hospital later this year.
UNC Health said the proposed hospital would help address a documented need for additional health care access in Western North Carolina.
“We are looking forward to meeting that need and fulfilling our mission,” Wolf said.