Construction on Blaine medical clinic could start as early as late summer

Family Care Network (FCN) is planning construction for its Blaine facility, while finalizing plans to close its Birch Bay clinic once the new clinic is built.

FCN submitted its building permit to Blaine’s Community Development Services Department (CDS) on March 11, and the city approved the permit that same day, kick-starting the next phase of development, said Alex Wenger, CDS director.

Final design plans are still being worked on but should be ready within the next couple of months, said FCN CEO Dr. Rodney Anderson.

If all goes well, construction could start in late summer or early fall at the earliest, Anderson said. The Blaine clinic could open by 2025.

FCN will close Birch Bay Family Medicine and move its four physicians to the Blaine clinic, Anderson said. The Birch Bay clinic is in a small building and has no ability to improve its parking situation.

“Our primary clinical site would be in Blaine and we wouldn’t have services in Birch Bay any longer,” Anderson said. “It unfortunately doesn’t fit the need for future growth in that area. We think the Blaine site will do that for many years to come.”

Anderson said he anticipates Birch Bay patients will follow their physicians to Blaine. It’s unclear what will happen to the building as the medical system only rents it.

The 6,000-square-foot Blaine clinic will be built for future growth, with 12 exam rooms, a procedure room, triage room, on-site lab services and behavioral health services.

In 2019, FCN indicated interest in building a healthcare clinic on the city’s old airport property near SR-543, and, in 2021, FCN purchased its 2.5-acre parcel from the city of Blaine. Pandemic challenges in healthcare and FCN implementing a new electronic medical record system delayed the Blaine project.

Blaine has been without a medical clinic since the last clinic within city limits closed in April 2020.