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Marion County health officer details plan to replace Bellevue clinic, seeks board support for design
Summary
Health officer Mark Lander told commissioners the aging Bellevue clinic needs replacement and proposed an ~8,400 sq ft facility with larger exam rooms, community space and drive-through access; commissioners asked staff to verify site options and paused architectural spending until location research is returned.
Mark Lander, health officer administrator for the Florida Department of Health in Marion County, told the board the Bellevue facility — installed around 1998 and currently about 5,000 square feet — requires significant repairs and is limiting services to southern county residents.
"We had full service clinic out there" when the building opened, Lander said, and the current site now serves about 25% of county WIC clients (roughly 1,700 people) and delivered about 26,444 services last fiscal year. He detailed roof leaks, damaged flooring, narrow hallways and undersized exam rooms that complicate patient flow and accessibility.
Lander presented a proposed replacement of about 8,400 square feet that would enlarge exam rooms to roughly 100 square feet (with several up to 150 square feet), widen hallways to meet accessibility targets, add a training/community room and expand storage. He also proposed a drive-through option for immunizations and visits for immunocompromised or special-needs clients.
The health officer said the redesigned site would expand clinical offerings — immunizations, disease investigation, A1c screenings, family planning — and host environmental health staff, vital records access for births and deaths, and social programs such as Healthy Start and parenting classes to better serve the southern portion of Marion County.
Commissioners pressed staff on funding and location choices. Jared, the county facilities lead, said staff had developed a pre-engineered metal building design and that the project was about 30% through construction documents but that the design had been paused after earlier board concerns. Commissioners discussed pursuing state legislative funding, a possible hospital-district partnership, and using health-department trust funds and general-fund options for design and construction.
The board asked staff to provide ZIP-code service maps and updated demographics to support any state funding requests and directed staff to hold extension of architectural procurements until research about siting and potential property purchases is returned to the board.
Next steps: staff will return with location research, updated demographic support for grant/lobbying efforts, and revised design/cost information before proceeding with architectural contracts or construction budgeting.
