Outback Steakhouse, Patient First and enhanced ambulatory services coming to Falls
By Samantha Bambino
The Times
A handful of projects are in the works to help breathe new life into Falls Township, and residents are encouraged to prepare themselves — and their taste buds — accordingly.
At a supervisors meeting held on Tuesday, Sept. 18, it was announced that by this time next year, an Outback Steakhouse is expected to be up and running in the township. The supervisors voted unanimously to grant preliminary and final land development approval to Oxford Valley Road Associates, LP to demolish the shuttered Old Country Buffet building at 650 Commerce Blvd. A 6,620-square-foot Outback Steakhouse will be constructed in its place.
According to Outback representatives, building plans are now underway, and while work could begin later this year, construction will most likely begin in spring 2019. Demolition of the existing building and completion of the new space is expected to take approximately five to six months.
Once constructed, Outback Steakhouse will be located adjacent to Best Buy in The Court at Oxford Valley. Though the eatery will be a bit smaller than the current structure, which housed the 10,417-square-foot Old Country Buffet until its closure in March 2016, the new restaurant will feature a concrete patio waiting area, 240 seats and of course, Outback’s signature Bloomin’ Onion. Additional site improvements will include larger parking spaces and new curbing.
A second area about to receive a major overhaul is the intersection of Oxford Valley Road and Lincoln Highway, which is currently home to several closed businesses. At the meeting, the supervisors unanimously granted preliminary and final land development approval for construction of a Patient First medical center at 100 Lincoln Highway, where a McDonald’s and gas station previously operated.
Though supervisor chairman Bob Harvie expressed some concern about adding traffic to an already busy intersection, it was decided the traffic Patient First expects to generate will be “negligible” compared to that of the McDonald’s and gas station.
Patient First currently has 15 locations throughout Pennsylvania and New Jersey, including one in Feasterville. Each operates from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily, and sees up to 120 patients per day once the facility is fully established in the community. At peak times, about 14 patients come into Patient First, which accepts walk-ins for a variety of ailments including routine injuries and illnesses. The medical centers are meant to take the strain out of hospital emergency rooms, offering onsite X-rays, lab tests and prescription drugs for patients who are being seen.
“I’m just glad to see something being done with that property,” said supervisor Brian Galloway.
The McDonald’s and gas station will be demolished, and the 7,151-square-foot facility will be built in its place, featuring 37 parking spaces, a new stormwater management system and landscaping.
In addition to revamping the unused buildings of Falls Township, supervisors are working to improve health services for its residents. In a proactive effort to ensure locals receive emergency ambulance services as quickly as possible, the supervisors entered into an agreement with Capital Health to cover portions of the township currently served by the Morrisville Ambulance Squad.
The agreement took effect on Sept. 22 and covers the roughly 12 percent of the township that Morrisville Ambulance Squad, which is in the process of ceasing its operations, has been handling.
According to Jim Boozan, Capital Health divisional director of emergency medical services, it’s not unheard of for a municipality to contract for ambulance services. Boozan said he’s worked with towns in five separate instances to provide round-the-clock basic and advanced life support services.
Boozan stressed that patients who are transported by ambulance will be taken to the medical center of their choosing, so there should be no concerns about Capital Health “stealing” patients by taking them to its own health centers.
“You want to take them where they want to go, where their physician is, where their medical records are,” he said.
Only in select cases, such as an active heart attack or baby delivery, will patients possibly be taken elsewhere depending on whether or not their preferred hospital provides that type of care.
Harvie and fire marshal Rich Dippolito said they were impressed and comfortable with the idea of Capital Health assisting the township with some of its emergency medical needs. Capital Health personnel will also provide services for Morrisville residents, and will operate from the Morrisville Ambulance Squad’s 139 N. Washington St. location. ••
Samantha Bambino can be reached at sbambino@newspapermediagroup.com
