LYNCHBURG, Va. (WSET) — Centra Heath received unanimous support for their rezoning request to pursue the start of their Modernization Plan.
Every member of the Lynchburg City Council voted Tuesday night in favor of the rezoning request for the plan.
According to Centra Health CEO and President, Amy Carrier, the plan will bring hundreds of jobs, state-of-the-art equipment, a new medical campus, a five-story medical tower, a new mother/baby unit, more parking and much more.
The president said this $500 million update is the largest facility improvement plan in their 36 years.
Carrier also said the community of Lynchburg also helped put together this plan when they participated in a health study back in 2021.
The CEO said because of that study, they knew what updates were needed for the campus.
“The community was a big part of this thanks to the health study,” Carrier said. “How can we expand care access, make things easier to navigate, help patients stay healthier and in their homes out of the hospital, and then create the specialty care that we know that we need for rehabilitation for an again population.”
Centra attorney Hank Creasy presented the rezoning request to city council during their regular meeting.
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According to the plan, 19 areas that are owned by Centra are set to be rezoned.
Councilmen Jeff Helgeson and Martin Misjuns spoke out against the rezoning as two portions of the rezoning would affect neighborhoods and communities that have been a part of Lynchburg for years.
Councilman Helgeson said he was upset over the IN-2 rezoning request because it would prohibit the public from speaking out about the rezoning and may cause large buildings to be built near these homes.
“It completely eliminates the ability for citizens to say eh, this is my neighborhood you know,” Councilman Helgeson said. “Some may say, I grew up in this neighborhood, in this house, and now you’re gonna turn into a parking lot in my backyard.”
Vice Mayor Chris Faraldi pushed back and said that the council should approve this rezoning request because this plan is a big economic win for the city.
“This is something that falls into the category of why I ran,” the vice mayor said. “It is to get behind developments like this that bring this level of economic impact to the city.”
Centra attorney Hank Creasy reassured both Councilmen Misjuns and Helgeson that the areas with homes would not see massive construction.
Creasy said both areas in question were only being considered to be used as parking opportunities.
