Plans to expand and modernize St. Luke’s McCall’s medical center have entered the next stage, and the project’s entitlement application for site preparation will go to the McCall City Council.

If the council approves the application, detailed engineer drawings will be drafted, with work estimated to start in spring or early summer.

Work also will move forward on schematic, development and construction design. A second public process for approval will take place for this phase.

Plans for the expanded hospital include additional emergency department treatment rooms, private and multifunctional patient rooms, modern labor and delivery rooms and additional operating rooms.

“Our plan is guided by our foremost priority to meet the needs of our patients by providing more convenient and higher quality care at a lower cost,” St. Luke’s McCall Administrator Sean McCallister said.

Several years ago, hospital leadership identified a need for more space to serve the growing healthcare needs of the community and to modernize the aging facility and dated infrastructure.

Nearly 50 percent of the hospital is more than 60 years old and the other half is more than 20 years old, creating challenges to meet current regulatory, technology and connectivity standards.

The St. Luke’s McCall team presented the site prep application to the City’s Planning and Zoning Commission on Feb. 6. The commission voted unanimously to approve the entitlement application.     

The application represents work to be done to prepare the site for a new two-story structure, including:

• The realignment of Hewitt Street. A portion of the existing public right of way also would be vacated.
• Upgrading utility infrastructure (i.e. water, sewer and power) and making street improvements.
• Lot consolidation. The St. Luke’s McCall campus consists of multiple independent lots. In order to expand, the lots need to be consolidated into one.
• Rezoning a property from residential to civic.

The public hearing and approval vote were critical milestones. The project will go before the City Council in March.

“I’m pleased with the Planning and Zoning Commission meeting outcome, grateful for strong public support for the project at this juncture and looking forward to the next steps,” McCallister said.

Learn more about the development plan for St. Luke's McCall.