Blood bank considers relocating facility to Summerfield

By DAVID R. CORDER, DAILY SUN

LADY LAKE — Florida’s Blood Centers has picked a development site for a new Villages-area donation center.

The state’s largest blood bank recently filed an application with the Sumter County Planning Department to renovate and expand the site of a vacated used car lot in the 13900 block of North U.S. Highway 27/441 in Summerfield.

Officials at the Orlando-based blood bank cited growth as the reason for the proposed relocation from the existing donation center on La Grande Boulevard in Lady Lake.

“The idea is for Florida’s Blood Centers to respond to a growing community by moving into a larger donation center,” blood bank spokesman Pat Michaels said. “It’s because of demand and population growth.”

Such growth has produced increasing numbers of donors in The Villages, Michaels said.

“We get a great response from the people in that area when we’re in need,” said.

Planning department records show that the blood bank seeks a change of occupancy on a 1-acre site across from the Aldi grocery store.

The application filed by the property owners, Sullivan Development Inc., proposes development of a two-story professional office building. Construction would add about 3,661 square feet for a total building size of about 6,100 square feet.

Members of the Sumter Development

Review Committee will meet Sept. 8 to review the blood bank’s application.

The proposed Villages-area expansion comes as the blood bank has experienced rapid internal growth.

A community blood bank, Florida’s Blood Centers is registered with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to collect whole blood and blood products for diagnostic use.

The blood bank serves about

21 counties, including Lake, Marion and Sumter, Michaels noted. In this area, it serves The Villages Regional Hospital and Leesburg Regional

Medical Center.

During the past several years, the nonprofit blood bank has recorded considerable revenue growth, according to public financial reports it files with the Internal Revenue Service.

It is the largest blood bank in the state, Michaels said, last year collecting about 320,000 units of blood.

The blood bank’s revenue increased by about 53 percent from 2004 to 2006 to almost $83.9 million, the nonprofit company reported in its most recent financial report.

During the same time period, the blood bank’s work force increased by almost 41 percent to 836 employees.