Centra has unveiled the recommended redevelopment vision for the Virginia Baptist Hospital (VBH) campus following the completion of its adaptive reuse feasibility study and a final community open house held June 25.
The study, conducted over the past six months as part of Centra’s broader Modernization Plan, outlines a path forward for the historic campus after extensive community input, case studies and best practices. The recommended approach centers on a mixed-use redevelopment, creating a connected setting where people can live, work, visit and gather. Read the full presentation here.
“Throughout this process, our objective is to create enduring value for the community we are privileged to serve,” said Richard Tugman, president and CEO of Centra. “At its heart, this work is about stewardship. It is about honoring a century‑long legacy whilst ensuring the campus continues to have purpose and relevance in the years ahead.”
The adaptive reuse study combined building assessments, market analysis, and insights from successful redevelopment projects across the country. Centra obtained input gathered from the community through surveys, open houses and a design charrette process held earlier this year.
The resulting vision balances preservation, adaptation and new development, including:
- Protecting the campus’s historic Colonial Revival character, particularly around the historic lawn
- Repurposing existing buildings for uses such as residential living, retail and community spaces
- Creating opportunities for childcare, education and recreation
- Improving connectivity within the campus and to the surrounding Rivermont neighborhood
Together, these elements support a vibrant, mixed-use community asset that can evolve over time. Read the full presentation here.
As planning for the future moves forward, VBH remains open and continues to serve patients. The facility continues to provide women’s and children’s services, surgical care, radiology and other outpatient services, including behavioral health access points through the Piedmont Psychiatric Center and Addiction Treatment Center.
These services will remain in place as Centra transitions key operations to other facilities, including Centra Lynchburg General Hospital and the new Simons Run Medical Campus.
With the study now complete, Centra will begin a structured, two-step process to identify a master developer to bring the vision to life. The selected developer will serve as Centra’s primary partner, leading the redevelopment strategy, coordinating with additional partners and overseeing phased implementation across the campus.
Centra will continue to share updates as the developer selection process moves forward.
About the Modernization Plan
Centra is investing more than $657 million in the Lynchburg region through its Modernization Plan, which includes expanding specialty care, modernizing infrastructure, advancing digital and AI technologies and meeting the evolving health needs of the communities it serves.
Key projects include:
- Centra Langhorne Medical Center (opened December 2025): A five-story medical office building that consolidates multiple specialty clinics into one convenient location.
- Centra Simons Run Medical Campus (opened summer 2026): Developed in partnership with Lifepoint Health affiliates, this campus includes the Centra Behavioral Health Hospital (opened June 2026) for inpatient psychiatric care and Centra Rehabilitation Hospital (opening July 2026). The rehabilitation hospital expands access to specialized care for adults who have experienced a loss of function or disability due to stroke, brain injury, spinal cord injury, neurological disorders, orthopedic surgery, amputation and other conditions.
- Tower A at Lynchburg General Hospital (currently under construction) A new six-floor facility featuring a modern emergency department with an EmPATH unit, surgical suites, maternity services (labor and delivery, mother/baby and intensive care nursery), and inpatient units.
- Technology & Process Improvements: Ambient scribing, security enhancements, digital registration and self-scheduling.
Additional information about the VBH Adaptive Reuse Study and Centra’s Modernization Plan is available at:
