Sarasota Memorial makes room for rehabilitation pavilion

Demolition is in full swing on the site of the former Retter wing at Sarasota Memorial Hospital. 

One of the oldest additions to the hospital, the Retter wing was built in the 1960s on the west side of the hospital on Arlington Street. Many of the services that included pediatrics, an oncology treatment center and administration officers that were housed in the five-story building were relocated to the newer Courtyard Tower.

Bulldozers are making room for the new Sarasota Memorial Rehabilitation Pavilion that is scheduled to be start construction in February. Construction crews are working seven days a week in order to meet the deadline to start construction on the 44-bed Sarasota Memorial Rehabilitation Pavilion. 

"There's no reason to slow down at this point," said Tom Perigo, director of architecture and construction at Sarasota Memorial Hospital. "It's a pretty aggressive timeline."

The new 74,000-square-foot pavilion is expected to complete construction the week of Dec. 11 to accommodate the growing demand for rehabilitation spaces.

The new facility will be equipped to take the place of the current 34-bed Comprehensive Rehabilitation Unit that sees on average 800 patients annually. 

"I know that we're pretty much at capacity on a daily basis," said Maria De Carlo, vice president of rehabilitation services."I wish we had those extra rooms right now." 

In addition to an increase in private rooms the facility will have a mobility garden for patients to be reintroduced to navigating different surfaces and circumstances.