Centra donates building

Published 11:01 am Wednesday, February 19, 2020

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The Bridgforth Medical building has been donated to the Town of Victoria, but it does not come without strings attached.

The building at 1418 Sixth Street, was previously owned by Centra Southside Community Hospital, but the building has not been used since Dr. Mary Cabrera left the practice to relocate at the Centra Medical Group walk-in facility in Farmville last spring. Cabrera had been at the Victoria office 10 years before the relocation.

Centra officials said they worked to recruit a new doctor to the Victoria location but that did not happen.

Centra Southside Community Hospital CEO Tom Angelo and Sharon Harrup, the chairman of the Centra Southside Community Hospital Board of Directors appeared before the town council to give the town the building.

Stipulations to the offer restricts use of the building to a federally-qualified health clinic like Southern Dominion Health System. The organization operates the Lunenburg Medical Center. The offer comes with a 20-year moratorium on any corporate health providers, specifically VCU or Bon Secours from being able to use the building. If a corporate health provider was allowed to use the building by the town, the property would revert to Centra’s ownership.

Town Manager Rodney Newton urged council to accept the offer of the property. The property was donated as a “Deed of Guest” according to minutes from the council meeting. Council agreed, accepting the donation of the building to the town.