September 23, 2026

SMH announced plans to acquire approximately 120 acres in Manatee County’s fast-growing State Road 64 corridor. Located within Sarasota Memorial’s four-county primary service area, the property just east of I-75 provides flexibility to meet both current and future healthcare needs and will help ensure the region’s only public, not-for-profit health system keeps pace with one of Southwest Florida’s fastest-growing communities.

Approved by the Sarasota County Public Hospital Board on Tuesday, September 22, the nearly $60 million land deal is contingent upon SMH working with Manatee County officials and community leaders to rezone and develop a future campus on the site. In July, the Hospital Board also approved acquiring a 10-acre adjacent parcel with direct access to SR 64.

“This investment reflects the kind of long-range planning that has allowed Sarasota Memorial to serve our region for more than a century,” said David Verinder, CEO of Sarasota Memorial Health Care System. “Healthcare infrastructure takes years to plan and build. Securing strategically located property today allows us to improve our capacity to care for the community now, while enhancing access for future generations.”

Future development would occur in phases, guided by community need and local, regional and state regulatory approvals.

Pending local government and site development approvals, the first phase of SMH’s Manatee campus would include a freestanding emergency department on the 10-acre parcel. Subsequent phases may include primary and specialty physician practices, pediatric specialty care, imaging, diagnostic and laboratory services, and other medical buildings to support a full-service hospital campus.

Read more at SMH.com.