A piece of land that was slated to be a housing area called “Liberty View,” is now the property of the Inova Health System and they are planning a 21-acre medical campus to serve the residents of Franconia, Springfield, Mount Vernon and Lorton. The spot for the new hospital is a parcel of unoccupied land between the Inova HealthPlex – Franconia/Springfield. and Beulah Street, providing proximity to the metro, the Franconia-Springfield Parkway and I-95.

Monument Realty owned 12 acres of the land, and had plans underway for a mixed-use development consisting of five buildings for the property, but as the economy developed this year the way it has, Inova looked toward expanding their health care facilities. They acquired the remaining twelve acres of land from Monument Realty and its New York-based partner, Atlas Capital Group.

THE ACQUISITION of the additional real estate is part of Inova’s emerging plan to enhance services, thereby more fully meeting the growing healthcare needs of the eastern region of Northern Virginia, including Franconia, Springfield, Mount Vernon and Lorton in Fairfax County and the City of Alexandria. While Inova is committed to continuing to provide emergency and inpatient services in Alexandria and Mount Vernon, the expansion of the Springfield site affords a unique opportunity to serve the broader region more comprehensively.

“This additional land provides unlimited opportunity for programs, services, and facilities that support our mission to provide world-class healthcare to every patient we have the privilege to serve,” said J. Stephen Jones, MD, FACS, Inova President and CEO. “We are steadfast in our commitment to serve our communities, and we are confident that increasing the availability of care in our eastern region is an important next step for our patients, our region, and for Inova.”

The Healthplex facility, which is a few hundred yards away from the site, “will continue serving the community through the development of this project,” said Melissa Poretz Riddy, the Inova Government & Community Relations Director for the Eastern Region. Riddy did not say what will happen to the Healthplex when the new medical campus is up and running in a few years.

Details on the new medical campus, including program and facility scope and size will be finalized in the coming months, Inova said. While initial concept development is underway, Inova anticipates the facility planning, regulatory, and construction processes will take place over the next several years. Inova will be filing land use applications with Fairfax County next year to seek approval for the project. It is located in Lee District, and county Supervisor Rodney Lusk (D-Lee) is supporting any improvements in that area. “I am committed to working with both INOVA, as well as the surrounding community, to address any necessary infrastructure improvements that might be identified as this development progresses,” Lusk said.

TRANSPORTATION to the new medical campus will be spearheaded by the proximity of the Franconia-Springfield Metro Station, but for those who are walking, it is about a 20-minute hike. A shuttle service, or an extension of the TAGS buses to operate on a more frequent schedule could be the answer here but it is too early to tell at this point. Supervisor Lusk wants TAGS to be a part of it. “As this project advances, I will insist that the existing service is expanded to include additionally developed locations,” Lusk said. Inova is on board with that too. “We’re in the beginning phases of this project and we will work collaboratively with Fairfax County on the transportation and access considerations for the site through the development process,” said Riddy.