Groundbreaking will take place next month on a new $20 million building for Field Memorial Community Hospital, the culmination of five years of planning, hospital officials said.
The new 60,000-square foot hospital will break ground on the former site of the William Carter Co. garment plant at 178 Highway 24 in Centreville.
The 20-acre property has been prepped over the last few months for the project, which is expected to last 15 months.
Field Memorial opened in 1928 and was operated by Richard Jennings and Sam Field.
The hospital’s current building was reconstructed in 1952 after being sold to Amite and Wilkinson counties.
Hospital CEO Chad Netterville said he is unsure what the 61-year-old building will be used for once the hospital moves to its new location.
An engineering study of the building in 2008 showed that it was in decent shape considering its age, but it would be more cost-effective to build a new facility instead of renovating the existing one. The plans have been in the works since then, and Netterville said the timing was right to push the project to fruition.
Netterville said the new facility will be more efficient than current conditions, giving patients shorter wait times and more staff attention.
“Right now, we’re an old facility that’s spread out from past renovations,” Netterville said. “This will centrally locate services and makes patient experience better.”
Field Memorial will continue to be a critical access hospital with a 24-hour emergency room and provide full services. Netterville said the hospital’s clinic will move to the new, larger building.
“It is a big event for us and we’re looking forward to moving on this,” hospital trustee Marlin Reid said. “It’s going to be one of the largest happenings in Centreville in quite a while.”
