Hospital Groundbreaking set for Sept. 7

Hospital Groundbreaking set for Sept. 7

Special ceremony for new Baptist Facility

news@theeveningtimes.com

An official groundbreaking ceremony for the new Baptist Hospital is set for Sept. 7 at the Arkansas Welcome Center.

Baptist Memorial Health Care will build a new $25 million, 50,000-square-foot facility with 20 beds north of Interstate 55 between 7th Street and Hwy. 77 North.

“We’re going to have the ceremony inside and then anybody who wants to go over to the actual site we will have a bus to take them over,” said County Judge Woody Wheeless.

The new hospital will fill the void left when Crittenden Regional Hospital declared bankruptcy and closed in August 2014.

Baptist is the largest health care provider in the region with over 2,000 beds.

The cost to build the new hospital is being supported by a one cent sales tax which voter approved that will generate $30 million over the next five years.

Crittenden County and Baptist had hoped to break ground in July, but were forced to delay it until a construction agency manager is selected.

Under Arkansas law the hospital will have to be built using an agency construction management method as opposed to a construction manager at risk method, which is a fee based service where the construction manager acts in the interests of the owner (Baptist) during each stage of the project.

Wheeless said they will be meeting with Baptist officials this week to select the project manager.

“Once we get that person picked, then the process will start moving quick,” Wheeless said.

Wheeless said the ceremony is open to the public and will start at 10 a.m.

“This will be a big event,” Wheeless said. “I want to see the public come out and be a part of it.”

By Mark Randall