ROCKLEDGE, Fla. – Orlando Health on Thursday began the first phase of demolition of Rockledge Hospital.
The initial phase, expected to take about eight weeks, will focus on the removal of parking lots and small outparcel buildings surrounding the main hospital site.
News 6 community correspondent Alex Cook on Thursday went to the site and saw an excavator removing metal railings from a parking lot.
Workers were also installing a chain-link fence around the work site.
[VIDEO BELOW: Residents express concern over hospital closure]
The second phase of demolition, which includes the hospital, is expected to begin in early December.
The 84-year-old facility’s closure earlier this year came after Orlando Health, the hospital’s owner, discovered significant structural problems, including black mold, corroded sanitation lines, and other critical infrastructure issues.
The closure has raised concerns about healthcare access in the region. Currently, residents must travel either 8.5 miles to Cape Canaveral or face a 21-minute drive to Melbourne for emergency care.
[BELOW: Demolition of Rockledge Hospital underway]
However, relief may be coming. Health First has announced plans for a new freestanding emergency department in Rockledge. The planned facility will be a 13,000-square-foot, 12-bed emergency center located at 3300 South Fiske Boulevard.
No road closures are planned during the demo work, Orlando Health said in a news release.