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City Council To Vote On Medical City Plano Expansion

And some residents of Plano are not pleased
Man,Doctor,In,The,Hospital
Photo: Billion Photos | Shutterstock

The fate of Medical City Plano is at the hands of Plano City Council. On September 6, Planning and Zoning voted unanimously to leave the decision of redevelopment to the city council. But many residents are not pleased with the news of the expansion. 

The current plan for the redevelopment of Medical City Plano would double the central building from four to eight stories. This would allow for extra trauma and burn units, and create more room for additional patients. The proposal also includes three helicopter pads, but at the city council meeting, residents voiced their opposition and expressed their concerns to Planning and Zoning. In a poll put out by the city, 140 out of 185 residents opposed the development and were against the traffic and noise the additional space would bring. Many of the individuals who spoke explained they support the hospital, but do not want the additional problems they believe it will bring. 

“I think this is a terrible proposal,” one resident told Planning and Zoning in regards to noise levels from helicopter traffic. 

Jyric Sims, CEO of Medical City Plano, spoke at the Planning and Zoning meeting and addressed the needs and demands of the hospital, which became evident during the COVID-19 pandemic. He explained that the hospital is in need of redevelopment because of patient safety. The faster they can get patients to a room or trauma floor the more likely they are to recover. 

Sims also told Planning and Zoning that as the community grows, the hospital must grow to keep up with more patients coming to the hospital. The emergency department sees anywhere from 140 to 150 patients every day, and that number is expected to rise as Plano welcomes more residents.

“There isn't a day that goes by that we don't have 15 to 20 patients in our emergency room because they can’t get a bed because of the lack of capacity,” Sims told Planning and Zoning. 

Christina Day, Direction of Planning, told Local Profile Plano City Council will be voting on the redevelopment plans on September 20.