Photo by Jon Anderson
The former Regions Bank South Tower in Riverchase is slated to be the site of the Riverwalk Health & Wellness Center off Riverchase Parkway West in Hoover, Alabama.
The Hoover Health Care Authority has selected Solara Surgical Partners as the operator for the outpatient surgery center in the Riverwalk Village development in Riverchase and been granted final approval for the facility from the state.
Solara Surgical Partners is a private company that manages multiple surgery centers in Alabama, Florida, Mississippi, Oklahoma and Texas, including the Alabama Digestive Health and Endoscopy Center at Baptist Health Brookwood Hospital and the Medplex Outpatient Surgery Center in the Southlake area of Hoover.
Alan Paquette, chairman of the Hoover Health Care Authority, said the authority received multiple proposals to operate the new surgery center since receiving preliminary approval from the state in September 2024 and had great interviews with three of them.
The authority is confident that Solara Surgical Partners is the right choice to serve as the ambulatory surgical center operator, he said. “Their experience and focus make them a strong fit for this project and for the residents of Hoover and the surrounding communities,” Paquette said.
“It seemed to me that they had the relationships and culture that was a better fit for what we’re trying to do,” he said. “I think they’re going to attract not just doctors to their surgery center, but they’ll probably be an asset to CR Endeavors in helping to lease up that building. They left us thinking they’re going to be a good partner long-term.”
The Riverwalk Health and Wellness Center should be under construction inside the former Regions Bank South Tower along Riverchase Parkway by spring, Paquette said. It could take up to 18 months to finish construction, he said.
CR Endeavors is the development company that is managing the leasing operations for the building, which also will include a medical diagnostics facility. Paquette said CR Endeavors has identified an operator for the diagnostics center and likely will be naming that entity soon.
“Hoover is fortunate to have this property available in Riverchase and the opportunity to reimagine this area through the Riverwalk Village development,” Paquette said. “This thing’s going to be dynamite.”
Steve Hockert, chief development officer for Solara Surgical Partners, said in a news release that this project represents an important opportunity to expand access to ambulatory surgical services in a growing region.
“With an already established presence in central Alabama, we are honored to have been selected to serve as the operator for the Riverwalk Village ambulatory surgical center,” Hockert said. “We look forward to working in partnership with the Hoover Health Care Authority and its stakeholders to deliver high-quality care supported by an experienced, patient-focused team.”
Riverwalk Village, which encompasses 90 acres in total, will have health and wellness as its central focus but also will incorporate other commercial and residential uses.
Signature Homes plans to build about 200 homes on 24 acres in Riverwalk Village, including at least 66 apartments. CR Endeavors, which owns the remaining 67 acres of Riverwalk Village, plans to build up to 375 apartments for people ages 55 or older, and also has a hotel and retail sites planned.
The property also includes pedestrian-friendly green spaces that are designed to preserve the natural character of the area.
Hoover Mayor Nick Derzis, in a written statement, said he’s delighted to be able to announce a first-rate health care team coming to serve Hoover residents and surrounding areas.
“Hoover is prime for this, and we thank the Certificate of Need Board of the State Health and Planning Development Agency for understanding our high need for this to proceed,” Derzis said. “A health care destination will be added to the long list of reasons why Hoover is one of the fastest-growing cities in the state. Hoover wins in every way.”
