Two health systems are proposing campuses off Interstate 25 in Broomfield, raising the possibility of rival hospitals setting up across the street from each other if the City Council approves both.
UCHealth is under contract to buy a 110-acre parcel on the northwest corner of the interchange between I-25 and Highway 7, also known as Baseline Road. Ikea had previously intended to build a store on that parcel, but abandoned the plan, according to BizWest. The sale is expected to close this month.
AdventHealth proposed its own campus on a 43-acre parcel on the southwest corner of the same interchange. The system declined to discuss its plans, but released a statement saying it would share information through the city’s review process.
“At AdventHealth, we thoughtfully explore ways to support growing communities by expanding access to care where it’s needed most. Our approach is guided by our mission and a long-term commitment to those we serve,” the statement said.
Both proposals include a hospital and a medical office building for outpatient care, with green space and trails. UCHealth’s proposal also includes mixed-use development, with the possibility of apartments, hotels, retail and restaurants.
The surrounding buildings are an important feature, because city planners made clear that they wanted the property to generate some tax revenue, said Ryan Rohman, president of UCHealth Longs Peak and Broomfield hospitals. UCHealth and AdventHealth are nonprofits and wouldn’t pay property taxes.
Both systems already have hospitals about 11 miles west of their proposed locations: UCHealth Broomfield Hospital and AdventHealth Avista in Louisville.
The 40-bed UCHealth Broomfield Hospital, located on the west side of the city, primarily offers less-complex surgeries, such as orthopedics, as well as inpatient rehabilitation and an emergency room, Rohman said. The hospital would remain open even if UCHealth builds a new Broomfield campus, he said.
“We can take you to a certain level of care, but then would have to send you to one of our other centers,” he said.
If approved, the new 60-bed hospital would have an intensive care unit and offer more complex services, such as trauma care, neurosurgery or cancer care, Rohman said. Currently, UCHealth patients who need those services have to travel to Aurora, he said.
“We can keep people close to home,” he said.
Last year, health systems spent more than three-quarters of a billion dollars on construction in the counties surrounding Denver, with Douglas County receiving the largest share of the investments.
Allan Baumgarten, who produces regular reports about the health care market in Colorado, said setting up locations in relatively well-off communities helps hospital systems gain customers with coveted commercial insurance, who tend to stay within one system for their future care.
Broomfield will hold a concept review meeting for both projects on Feb. 17. Other steps before approval include a neighborhood meeting and reviews by city staff and the land use commission. The City Council will have the final word.
As of Monday morning, neither project had attracted much public comment on Broomfield’s website. One person commented on AdventHealth’s plan, urging the developers to be sure they include enough parking. Two people said they supported UCHealth’s proposal, and one wanted to clarify whether UCHealth and AdventHealth were planning to build at the same interchange.
UCHealth set a goal of breaking ground this year and opening the hospital in 2029. AdventHealth hasn’t released its timeline.
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