Parkridge Health System is looking at building a facility to provide emergency services on Camp Jordan Parkway at the entrance to one of Hamilton County's largest recreational parks, officials said.
The East Ridge City Council has agreed on the first of two required votes to rezone vacant land from a commercial district to a hospital and institutions district to make way for the proposed medical facility.
Mayor Brian Williams said in a telephone interview Tuesday that he understands the need is greater than the capacity at Parkridge East Hospital's emergency medical facilities on Spring Creek Road.
"It will be a full-fledged emergency room facility with beds and everything," he said.
Williams said a second and final reading on the rezoning for the property across from Topgolf will go before the council on Feb. 24.
"We don't anticipate any issues," he said, adding the proposed facility would serve the surrounding area of the city as well as the park.
East Ridge City Attorney Mark Litchford said at a meeting of the council Thursday that the facility is slated to be "right outside Camp Jordan." He said the facility is to go on a 1.71-acre tract at 495 Camp Jordan Parkway.
Litchford said the site will offer emergency services to the park that's heavily used for baseball, soccer, lacrosse and other activities.
Ethan Wood of Wolftever Development said at the meeting that plans are to lease the site for the proposed facility.
"We're excited about it," said Wood, who with brother Matt Wood and business partner John Healy developed the Jordan Crossing retail and entertainment project adjacent to the park and Interstate 75.
Wolftever has called on East Ridge and Hamilton County officials to ramp up Camp Jordan and turn it into a regional center for sports tourism.
"It's East Ridge's cowbell," said Matt Wood in an earlier talk to the East Ridge Council of the Chattanooga Area Chamber of Commerce.
Jamie Lawson, Parkridge Health System's director of marketing and public relations, declined Tuesday to provide more details about the proposed medical facility.
Williams said Camp Jordan Parkway and Jordan Crossing is more of a commercial and retail development, and the emergency location would take away land for that purpose. But he said the benefits of the medical location outweigh any drawbacks.
"We see this as a great benefit," Williams said. "Quality of living needs to come into play."
Jordan Crossing sits on more than 50 acres, anchored by Bass Pro Shops and Topgolf. The complex also holds a Hampton Inn hotel as well as a Starbucks cafe, Chick-fil-A, DosBros, Jonathan's Grille restaurant and Buddy's Bar-B-Q eatery.
In addition, the Chattanooga Red Wolves soccer stadium opened in 2020 just across I-75 from Jordan Crossing. Developer Bob Martino has bought more than 100 acres where he plans to build townhouses, apartments and condominiums as well as office and retail space in a more than $200 million project.
Contact Mike Pare at mpare@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6318. Follow him on Twitter @MikePareTFP.