Spectrum Medical is set to open its new offices and begin taking patients at the former Dan River Research Building — now River District Tower — at Bridge Street on Monday.
Danville Economic Development Director Telly Tucker said the relocation should increase patronage of downtown businesses.
“It can be exposure for businesses people have not seen,” Tucker said.
The new River District Tower — and Spectrum Medical — is “exactly the type of project we in economic development would like to continue to see,” he added. It’s what city officials expected when they embarked on the River District plan, Tucker said.
Orthopedics, pain management, spinal surgery, rheumatology, physical therapy and clinical research facilities will be under one roof instead of spread out in offices on Executive and Memorial drives — Spectrum’s previous locations.
The new facility will include more than 85 employees, said Spectrum Medical Human Resources Manager Cress Gillie.
River District Development LLC — with Dr. Mark Hermann of Spectrum Medical as president — handled the transformation of the historic building.
Also, Danville Regional Medical Center will move its Family Residency Medical Clinic to the building in April, said LeAnne Roller, DRMC director of physician relations and industry. The clinic is currently located across from the hospital.
DRMC’s Piedmont Surgery Clinic on Executive Drive will also follow in April, shortly after the relocation of the Family Residency Medical Clinic, Roller said.
The hospital’s School of Radiologic Technology will be the last to move into the River District Tower, she said.
DRMC will occupy about 24,000 square feet of space on the second floor and will have about 75 associates including employees, physicians and students, Roller said.
The moves are an opportunity to better serve the community, Roller said. Volume has increased in the two clinics.
“We anticipate more growth in both clinics,” Roller said.
The majority of Spectrum’s employees will park in the 400-space Newton’s Landing parking lot below Bridge Street, Tucker said. Parking also will be available in the 160-space parking deck — the old Acree’s Warehouse building — at 312 Bridge St., Tucker said.
Spectrum Medical’s patients can park across the street from the tower at the 125-space lot at the old Stove Furniture building, Gillie said.
City officials expect congestion, but not an unreasonable volume of traffic, Tucker said.
“Any potential detriment will be offset by the gain in patronage of downtown businesses,” Tucker said.
The River District was once the “heartbeat of the city” and River District Tower will help make it a vibrant business district for Danville, he said.
Developments like River District Tower are why Newton’s Landing — a former industrial dumping ground — was developed, Tucker said. Newton’s Landing became a parking lot in 2008.
Work on River District Tower and Spectrum Medical continued Friday.
“We will be working diligently over the weekend to get it [Spectrum Medical] ready,” Gillie said.
It will be “all hands on deck for the weekend,” Gillie added.
“We’re excited about the move,” she said. “Everything’s brand new — brand new equipment, brand new technology.”
Spectrum Medical will be operating at reduced volume for the next couple of weeks during the transition to the new facility, Gillie said.
“We’re working on a reduced schedule to work out all the kinks and make sure everything is running normal,” she said.
The office usually sees about 100-150 patients per day, Gillie said.
On the first floor of River District Tower are tenant spaces, including one planned for a pharmacy, and an area to be used by the Danville Historical Society as a small museum space highlighting the city’s history. Society member Sonja Ingram said the space will feature exhibits and should be open this year.
The annex on the north side of the building will have restaurant space, with a banquet hall — to be called Canal — on the first floor.
The first restaurant to open will be Cotton at Riverside Mill on the second floor. It is expected to open in June, with the possibility of a second fine dining restaurant or expansion of Cotton in the future.
John Crane reports for the Danville Register & Bee. Contact him at jcrane@registerbee.com or (434) 791-7987.
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