The 100-year-old hospital serves over 20 towns in the area. According to Teri McDonald, spokesperson for the hospital, the project started off as a much smaller one with the idea to replace one of the older buildings. But she tells GlobeSt.com that it quickly became clear that both these old buildings would need to be replaced. McDonald notes that the $45 million is coming from a variety of sources, with $28 million being financed, $15 million coming from fundraising efforts and $2 million from operations.

The project will be developed in two phases with the first phase involving demolition of the current administration building. In its place will be an approximately 46,000-sf building that will house a surgery support center, an expanded maternity center, and 4,200 sf of laboratory space. The four-story building will also have a new kitchen and a floor of office space that will use for administrative purposes.

The second phase involves demolishing the pediatrics building and developing a three-story building with eight operating rooms, new recovery rooms and same day surgery space. The first floor will have a cafeteria and administrative offices and the third floor will be devoted to private medical/surgical beds.

McDonald says that this project is "kind of unique" especially since a number of local hospitals have been forced to shutter their doors or scale back in recent years. Construction is set to begin in mid-March.