William & Mary might be bringing medical offices to North Henry Street.
William & Mary’s Real Estate Foundation has submitted a special use permit to operate a medical office and other traditional offices out of a 23,332-square-foot building at 332 North Henry St., according to documents from the city of Williamsburg.
The college of William & Mary will lease the location from the foundation.
In the foundation’s application, the foundation said the school needs more space for health services as the department has evolved and grown over time.
Health centers at universities across the country are expanding because more students than ever are needing services that focus on mental health issues, sexual assaults, alcohol and substance abuse.
In the past few decades, the university has changed its approach to overall health to focus on spiritual, emotional, social, intellectual, physical, environmental and financial aspects.
Just this past year, The Haven — the campus’ support and advocacy network for those who have been sexually assaulted or harassed, stalked or abuse — has expanded a partnership with the Student Health Center on campus to help students access emergency contraception.
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With that greater focus, there are various departments at William & Mary working together such as campus recreation, the counseling center, health promotion and the student health center.
However, with all of that expansion there are times the college community’s needs are greater than the current capacities, despite the opening of the new McLeod Tyler Wellness Center in 2018.
By creating that additional location for medical services, the college hopes to provide more offerings and access in order to “stay competitive to its university peers in health care offerings,” according to city documents.
In the application, the foundation said that should the need for health services decline, which is unlikely, then the location would be instead used for traditional office space.
The building in which the college would like to move was constructed in 2008 with a steel frame and brick veneer and shingled roof system. In 2013, the Comprehensive Plan designated the parcel of land as mixed use, meaning it can be used for both residential and commercial uses.
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That also means the location should support the preservation, revitalization and adaptive reuse of existing historic structures.
With those requirements, the foundation does not have any plans to change the architecture of the building, which had been previously approved by the city and thus supports the community’s architecture.
In the application, the foundation said the space is not just about another facility, but rather the development of holistic health practices for the college’s community.
The public hearing for the special use permit will be at 3:30 p.m. Sept. 18 in the Stryker Center. For more information, visit the city of Williamsburg online.
