A new medical office building will be part of the Seven Pines master-planned community at southeast Kernan and Butler boulevards.
The two-story, 50,000-square-foot facility on Stillwood Pines Boulevard will be anchored by Halo Precision Diagnostics, which will occupy the 25,000-square-foot first floor.
Work on securing Halo for the space began a year ago, said Chuck Diebel, executive director of Colliers North Florida. Halo came to the real estate company looking for a large facility.
Colliers negotiated with the Skinner family, which owns Seven Pines, and they agreed that a medical office building would be a good fit for the community.
Baptist Hospital also will have a clinic in the subdivision.
Diebel said owners would like to sign a single tenant for the second floor, but splitting it into two to four spaces is more feasible.
While he’d like to have the building completely leased when it opens in the second quarter of 2025, the second floor could remain unfinished as shell space to accommodate a client or two.
The sales strategy is to reach out to as many Northeast Florida medical practices as possible and pitch the opportunity. The need for medical office space is growing as the area’s health care footprint continues to grow.
The medical building will be visible from Butler Boulevard.
“We are very optimistic because of how tight the medical market is now. We will get interest very quickly when construction starts,” Diebel said.
“There’s just a bunch of pine trees on the site now. Interest will grow once the pine trees come down and the building starts to go up.”
Ryan Companies Development is developing the building. The company built the new JEA headquarters at 225 N. Pearl St., which opened in April.
Medical offices within master-planned communities may become an expected amenity, like resort pools and spas, recreational opportunities, hiking trails and a retail element, Diebel said.
Medical offices also have a new source of space to lease - downsized offices.
As employers with large office leases consolidate and free up space, medical offices can move in.
For example, Diebel said that Aetna at 9000 Southside Blvd. was leasing five floors and recently reduced its commitment to one.
“The demand for medical spaces is growing and office space is decreasing. It will be interesting to see what happens,” Diebel said.