Baptist MD Anderson Cancer Center is pursuing three construction permits for projects totaling $14.44 million to renovate and expand its infusion services.
The Haskell Co. of Jacksonville is listed as the contractor for the projects at 1301 Palm Ave., south of Baptist Medical Center on the Downtown Southbank near San Marco.
“Baptist MD Anderson Cancer Center is refurbishing its existing infusion area and adding additional spaces for infusion services to meet the growing demand for these vital therapies,” Baptist Health said in a statement Oct. 14.
“An entire floor is being renovated and devoted to the expansion of our hematology outpatient services, which includes our new cellular therapy program and our future stem cell program designed to bring new hope to patients facing complex conditions.”
The statement said the investment in additional facilities and physicians “reflects our commitment to providing advanced cancer treatments close to home.”
BaptistJax.com announced Jan. 23, 2025, that as part of Baptist Health’s “ongoing commitment to advancing cancer care in Northeast Florida and Southeast Georgia, the health system is launching a Stem Cell Transplantation and Cellular Therapy Program at Baptist MD Anderson Cancer Center.”
Baptist MD Anderson Cancer Center plans to renovate and expand its infusion services at 1301 Palm Ave., south of Baptist Medical Center, on the Downtown Southbank near San Marco.
It said the program will offer treatments for hematologic (blood) cancers and other serious conditions using the body’s own cells and will be launched in two phases: Chimeric Antigen Receptor T-cell (CAR T) in the first quarter of 2025; and stem cell transplantations in late 2025.
“We deeply value the trust our patients place in us, and we aim to provide them with the best possible experience and the widest range of treatment options available,” said LeeAnn Mengel, vice president and administrator of Baptist MD Anderson, in the release.
“This program will allow us to offer innovative, potentially lifesaving therapies, ensuring patients receive the cancer care they need close to home.”
The permits in city review comprise:
• An estimated $13.582 million project to renovate 28,129 square feet of eighth-floor shell space for an exam area similar to the sixth floor and an infusion area similar to the existing ninth floor.
• An estimated $451,331 project to build-out fifth-floor shell space into additional patient exam rooms and other uses at the urology clinic.
• An estimated $411,103 project for an interior renovation of the ninth-floor phlebotomy (collecting blood samples from patients) and more uses.
The property owner is Southern Baptist Hospital of Florida Inc. The architect is Hoefer Welker. The private provider for plan review is Meskel & Associates Engineering PLLC of Jacksonville.
The nine-story, 341,779-square-foot Baptist MD Anderson and a four-level parking garage were built in 2018 on 5.33 acres bordered clockwise by Gary Street to the north, San Marco Boulevard, Childrens Way and Palm Avenue. The 10th floor is space for electrical and HVAC equipment.
Baptist MD Anderson initially opened in October 2015 in a Baptist Medical Center outpatient facility at 1235 San Marco Blvd. It broke ground for the nine-story expansion across the boulevard at 1301 Palm Ave. in June 2016.
The expansion tower opened in September 2018.
Baptist Medical Center’s primary campus is north of Gary Street and Interstate 95.
Nemours Children’s Clinic is to the west of Baptist MD Anderson across Palm Avenue.
An outpatient center and Baptist Health medical offices are to the east across San Marco Boulevard.
Baptist MD Anderson Cancer Center is a partnership between Baptist Health and MD Anderson Cancer Center.
Baptist Health has operated in Northeast Florida since 1955. Houston-based MD Anderson Cancer Center was founded in 1941.
BaptistMDAnderson.com says physicians at Baptist MD Anderson Cancer Center and MD Anderson are clinically integrated.
It says its multidisciplinary team comprises physicians and advanced practice providers in 12 specialties that include breast, colon and rectal, gastrointestinal, gynecologic, neuro and thoracic cancers. It says it has 12 disease-specific multidisciplinary cancer conference teams for personalized treatment strategies.
The site says that its main Baptist MD Anderson campus is the central location for care and there also are locations at Baptist MD Anderson at Baptist South; Baptist MD Anderson at Baptist Beaches; and Baptist MD Anderson at Baptist Clay.