(Chattanooga, TN) Built to serve the community of Hixson, Tennessee and the surrounding area, Anchor Health Properties (Anchor), a national, full-service healthcare real estate development, management, and investment company focused exclusively on medical outpatient and specialty healthcare facilities, marked the completion of a transformative redevelopment of a former movie theater into an 11,835 square foot patient-centric specialty eye center. In a fee-for-service development role, Anchor worked alongside key leadership from Southeastern Retina Associates (SERA), a leader in retina specialist care with locations in Eastern Tennessee, Southern Virginia, and Northern Georgia. Each phase of the project was carefully managed to align with the private practice’s goal of expanding access to specialty eye care while reinforcing their brand presence in the area.
SERA Hixson Exterior
In collaboration with physician ownership and key stakeholders, Anchor delivered comprehensive expertise and resources at every stage of the project. This included site identification and evaluation, due diligence and financial analysis, design and construction oversight, and post-occupancy commissioning. Recognizing a unique expansion opportunity within a former movie theater, Anchor’s team facilitated the acquisition of a targeted suite and subsequently renovated the dedicated space to meet the high standards and specific building codes required for healthcare use.
A key component of this project was the implementation of innovative structural solutions. The project team reimagined two former theater rooms as clinical spaces, employing bracing and platforming to level the sloped floors, ensuring optimal patient flow and accessibility. The former theater lobby was also redesigned into a welcoming waiting and registration area, thoughtfully integrating SERA’s brand aesthetic to build continuity across their network of clinics. The repurposed patient-centric space allows for three providers to see patients simultaneously and features dedicated exam pods, specialized exam rooms, and lab space for clinical trials.
“We are thrilled to celebrate the completion of this distinctive adaptive reuse project, designed to meet the evolving needs of healthcare providers,” shared Kollin Rommel, Senior Development Director with Anchor. “This project is a testament to our team’s creative approach to development, design, and construction, which allowed us to reimagine an existing space to meet the specific needs of the practice.
Our long-standing relationship with SERA has played a critical role in achieving this vision. Working closely with physician leadership, we were able to deliver a facility that supports their growth and enhances access to high-quality care for the community.”
Jon Nelson, Senior Vice President, Asset Management & Development echoed these sentiments, “Repurposing a former movie theater into a premier specialty healthcare environment meets the needs of SERA’s growing patient base while preserving the unique character of the community. This project truly reflects our commitment to adaptive reuse, revitalizing existing structures in ways that bring lasting value. By maintaining elements of the community’s familiar landscape, we are able to deliver accessible and convenient healthcare services in a modernized, patient-centered environment.”
Regionally based firms with extensive healthcare facility experience served as part of the project team, including Design Innovation Architects, who provided architecture and design services; P&C Construction, who served as the general contractor; Proficient Engineering who provided MEP engineering services; and, Haines Structural Group, who provided structural engineering services.
The Hixson Retina Center opened its doors to patients in September 2024.
About Anchor Health Properties
Anchor Health Properties is a full-service healthcare real estate development, management, and investment firm serving investors and health systems. Leveraging our collective experience and resources, our nimble, and thoughtful team of professionals develop and deliver tailored, client-specific solutions to respond to today’s healthcare challenges – thinking outside the “medical office box.” With more than $2B of completed development projects, 9M square feet under management, and $3.2B invested in stabilized healthcare facilities, Anchor continues to create a better healthcare experience for patients and a competitive edge for our clients. Anchor maintains multiple offices nationwide and features more than 100 professionals in its ranks. Healthcare today calls not only for new and more efficient ways of delivering healthcare services, but also a different kind of healthcare real estate company. For more information, please visit: www.anchorhealthproperties.com.
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