By Michael D. Clark
The Cincinnati Enquirer

MIDDLETOWN - A plan to move this city's hospital from its home of 85 years was unveiled Tuesday evening, but city officials cautioned that the preliminary agreement is only a working document.

NEW HOSPITAL DATES

January 2003 - Final site selection. January 2005 - Deadline for purchase of hospital and medical campus land. January 2005 - Deadline for beginning of hospital construction. January 2008 - Hospital opens.

The tentative development plan and financial agreement between the city and Middletown Regional Hospital officials was the result of months of negotiations.

The plan details some of the changes both sides have agreed to that will be necessary for building a hospital on the city's eastern border near Interstate 75.

Les Landen, Middletown law director, said "there are still many issues that are unresolved, but this is viewed as an initial step.

"The hospital is committing to build within the city of Middletown," said Mr. Landen, though, he said, the exact site off Ohio 122 east of I-75 is still to be determined.

The negotiated agreement, which requires approval by the hospital's governing board before a scheduled city council vote on Dec. 17, outlines projected dates for various related city and state projects needed to prepare the new 225-acre site that will include a health and technology campus. With 1,200 workers, the hospital is the second-largest employer in Middletown after AK Steel and plans include estimates of an additional 800 jobs.

According to the plan, the hospital will spend up to $250 million and the city up to $30 million over 10 years.

Some residents object, however, to moving the hospital.

Mary Lord told council that the western portions of Middletown, and nearby communities, such as Trenton and Franklin, will have significantly longer emergency travel time if the hospital is built along the city's eastern edge in Warren County.

Ms. Lord called employment projections of another 1,125 jobs created by the medical campus overly optimistic.

"I think we are speculating and don't we think we ought to speculate," she said.

E-mail mclark@enquirer.com