What should a 30-acre, 537,000-square-foot hospital become after a century of care? We sit down with Centra’s Denise Woernle, urban planner Suzanne Schulz, and Lynchburg’s economic development director, Marjette Upshur, to map a community-first path for reimagining Virginia Baptist Hospital. The conversation unpacks adaptive reuse in plain terms: listen first, decide later. Together, we walk through the process from January listening sessions to February goal-setting to a March community charrette designed to build trust, reduce surprise and turn lived experience into actionable plans.

We connect the study to Centra’s modernization plan, including new facilities coming online and service transitions that open space at VBH. Rather than let the campus go dark, the team explores how partnerships, potential tax incentives and careful market analysis can spark a viable future. With strong architecture, a prime location between downtown and Liberty University and a deeply personal legacy for neighbors and staff, VBH stands out as a rare chance to blend preservation with progress. We address the stakes plainly: an empty site drains value, while an engaged process can create jobs, honor history and keep the neighborhood vibrant.

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