The Venice City Council this week approved a zoning amendment that gave a green light to Sarasota Memorial’s development plans for its new Venice hospital.

The 65-acre site at the intersection of Laurel and Pinebrook roads near I-75 had been zoned for a shopping center. With this week's vote, the city council unanimously approved SMH’s request to allow a hospital and related healthcare facilities to be built on the site. The decision followed two uncontested public hearings and strong support from community and city leaders. 

SMH broke ground on the hospital campus in April and obtained permits to begin land clearing and deep foundation work. On May 7, the Planning Board approved SMH’s site and development plans pending approval of the zoning amendment. Construction is expected to take two and a half years with a total project cost of $437 million. The initial development covers 48 acres on the eastern side of the parcel and includes:

The campus is expected to generate hundreds of jobs during construction, and more than 500 employees will work at the facility when it opens. Located about halfway between Sarasota and North Port off I-75, the campus also will bring SMH’s extensive physician base further south, which in turn will help build the medical staff for a future hospital in North Port. For architectural renderings, building animation and more information, visit smh.com/venicehospitalupdates