The Reporter - December 9, 2025
Delaware Valley Hospital’s long-planned expansion is steadily moving forward, with construction crews preparing to shift from early site-prep to interior work that will pave the way for a new emergency department entrance, expanded inpatient capacity, and larger primary and specialty-care spaces. CEO Rolland “Boomer” Bojo said the project remains “on time and on budget” as it heads toward a 2027 completion.
“We’re really excited about what this is going to mean for our community,” Bojo said. “This project is about improving access to healthcare for Walton and the surrounding region.”
Parking Lot Nears Opening After Months of Neighborhood Scrutiny
The new 2-acre, 131-space parking lot on Cherry Street - approved by the village of Walton Planning Board in August after emotional public debate- is nearly ready for use. Paving is complete, Bojo said, and long-delayed lighting components arrived this week. Installation is expected by Thursday, allowing staff to begin parking there on Monday.
The lot, designed by Appel Osborne Landscape Architecture, was the subject of intense public scrutiny over fears of traffic, flooding, and light pollution. Residents packed the Aug. 21 planning board meeting with concerns that the new impervious surface could worsen chronic drainage issues.
Bojo acknowledged the tension at the time, telling neighbors, “My intent, as I’ve said from day one, is I want to be a good neighbor.”
Engineers detailed “significant” stormwater management measures, including underground storage, new culverts, and an open-ditch drainage system along Cherry Street—described as capable of reducing, not increasing, runoff.
“Almost the entire length of Cherry Street will be improved as far as drainage,” engineer Vince Pietrzak said at the time.
The lighting system - shielded, low-profile LED fixtures - was selected to minimize spillover into nearby homes. The lot will be used mostly for daytime staff, Pietrzak noted, reducing nighttime traffic.
Emergency Department Entrance Begins Its Shift
Inside the construction zone, crews are completing a relocation of the emergency department (ED) main entrance—shifting it roughly six feet to the right to create room for new building footers.
For several days during that transition, DVH will station security and signage outside to guide patients. “We don’t want people to have to guess or be confused,” Bojo said.
Once the main hospital entrance eventually closes for later construction, the newly relocated ED entry will serve as the sole public entrance for several months.
Kitchen Renovations to Temporarily Relocate Meal Prep
After the ED entrance shift, crews will move into the ceiling space above the hospital kitchen. DVH plans to use the required shutdown to modernize the kitchen - install new flooring, walls, and other upgrades.
During that period, the First Baptist Church of Walton has agreed to host hospital meal preparation.
“We’ll do meal prep over there for a few months,” Bojo said, noting that heated and cooled carts will maintain food temperature during transport.“ Patients should see no difference at all in the quality or the temperature of the food.”
Demolition and Construction Begin This Spring
By late April or early May, workers are expected to begin demolition of roughly two-thirds of the former Addiction Treatment Program wing. Oxygen lines will be rerouted to support construction of the new building, marking the start of what DVH calls Phase Two—the full construction phase.
The expansion totals approximately $85 million and is slated for completion at the end of 2027.
Capacity and Services to Rise
“It will increase our inpatient capacity,” Bojo said, adding that expanded clinical areas are designed to support growth in both primary and specialty care. “Our intention is to continue to grow both.”
Communication With the Public
DVH has been updating the community through its Facebook page - a tool Bojo called “a predominant way of being able to communicate on the fly.”
Residents are encouraged to follow United Health Services Delaware Valley Hospital on Facebook for construction alerts, temporary closures, and detour information.
A Project Years in the Making
The hospital’s expansion plans have commanded neighborhood interest since the parking-lot proposal surfaced last year. Residents questioned lighting, traffic flow, pedestrian safety, and the possibility of headlights shining into windows along Cherry Street. The hospital responded with screening plans including plantings, preserved trees, and maintained fencing.
Bojo repeatedly stressed the hospital’s responsibility to the neighborhood.
“Absolutely know that I will do everything in my power to be a good neighbor,” he told residents at the August public hearing. “I can’t promise everything’s perfect, but we will do everything we can to make it as good as possible.”
As the project moves into its next stages, the hospital’s leadership says the goal remains unchanged: a stronger, more accessible health-care center, they hope, with the community’s understanding and support.