THE NAME GREW ON THEM

August 4, 2009 12:35 am

The Pogonia Medical Arts Building in Spotsylvania pays homage to a rare orchid that delayed its construction.

Steel is going up now for the office building at the new Spotsylvania hospital.

BY JIM HALL

The discovery of a single rare orchid delayed construction of the new hospital in Spotsylvania County for about six months.

But hospital officials say that all is now forgiven.

The office building at the Spotsylvania Regional Medical Center will be known as the Pogonia Medical Arts Building in honor of the tiny flower.

"We are fully engaged in building and operating SRMC in a manner which is sensitive to the natural resources on and around our campus," said Tim Tobin, CEO of the new HCA hospital, in a statement.

The small whorled pogonia is a protected plant under state and federal laws. One was discovered at the 75-acre hospital site in June 2007 during a survey for a wetlands permit.

HCA officials and the Silver Cos., the developer, agreed to a deed restriction that created a 4.3-acre wooded buffer around the plant.

Construction finally began in April 2008. Three months later, HCA officials revised the budget for their new hospital, blaming the construction delay and rising fuel costs. The building is now expected to cost $175 million, up from $150 million.

Rene Hypes, project review coordinator for the Virginia Natural Heritage Program, said it is not unusual to create a protective buffer for one plant.

"Protecting that one plant and additional habitat may have protected other ones," she said last week.

The EPA lists the small whorled pogonia as one of the rarest orchids in the United States, though it's not especially showy.

The plant has a small yellow-green flower that appears in May or June, and a whorl of five or six leaves. It's usually found in hardwood forests.

The pogonia grows throughout Virginia and in most of the Eastern states. It is considered "endangered" in Virginia but "threatened," a less-critical designation, under federal law.

At the hospital site, the plant was discovered on the southern edge of the property.

"As they were going through the site, they saw this small flower and recognized its rareness," Tobin said.

Construction on the three-story medical office building that bears its name is now under way and is expected to be completed in March.

The 126-bed hospital will open in May. It is located at the intersection of the U.S. 17 Bypass and Interstate 95.

Jim Hall: 540/374-5433
Email: jhall@freelancestar.com

SIZE: 80,000 square feet

OPENING: March 2010 LOCATION: Adjacent and connected on three levels to hospital at intersection of U.S. 17 Bypass and Interstate 95 USE: Administrative space for hospital (20 percent) and leased space for 40-45 doctors (80 percent).