AdventHealth is planning to build an 80-bed hospital in The Villages, expanding acute-care services in one of the nation's fastest-growing metropolitan areas as the retirement community and its surrounding workforce continue to grow.
The health system announced plans in May for the hospital, which will be built on 25 acres as the anchor of Legacy Place, a new 700-acre mixed-use development along Florida's Turnpike.
Hospital construction is expected to begin in 2027, with the projected opening in 2030.
It would become the second acute-care hospital serving The Villages, joining the 315-bed UF Health Spanish Plaines Hospital, which opened in 2022. Other full-service hospitals are at least a 30-minute drive away, although several standalone emergency departments operate in the area.
The facility will provide emergency, surgical and inpatient care.
AdventHealth officials said the project is intended to meet healthcare needs driven by the region's rapid population growth.
The Villages spans portions of Sumter, Lake and Marion counties and is one of the country's largest age-restricted retirement communities. At least one member of each household must be 55 or older, and permanent residents younger than 19 are generally prohibited.
While the community is known for its retirees, much of the recent regional growth has occurred in neighboring communities such as Wildwood and Oxford, where many of the workers who support The Villages live and raise families.
Population in The Villages-Wildwood census designated area grew nearly 5% between 2022 and 2023 to more than 151,500 residents, making it the fastest-growing metro area in the nation, according to U.S. Census Bureau estimates.
The region has also become the nation's fastest-growing metro area this decade for both children 14 and younger and working-age adults, reflecting an influx of younger families employed throughout the area's expanding economy.
"We also have an obligation to the surrounding area, to the people that not necessarily live in The Villages, but that help build The Villages, help sustain The Villages," The Villages CEO Robert Chandler IV said. "Those people need good healthcare as well."
Those workers include healthcare professionals, construction workers, landscapers, tradespeople, real estate agents and other service providers whose communities have expanded alongside the retirement development.
"This region is growing quickly, and that kind of growth brings both opportunity and responsibility," Rob Deininger, CEO of AdventHealth's East Florida Division, said in a statement. "We're planning for what families will need not just today, but years from now, making sure the medical infrastructure keeps pace with the lives being built here. This will strengthen how people receive care across the region, helping connect care and reduce the need for travel."
Legacy Place, a partnership between The Villages and Benderson Development, is expected to include retail, restaurants and commercial space, with the first phase projected to open in 2027. Road improvements and site clearing are underway.
