The Hall County Health Department Tuesday broke ground on a new medical office building.
During a ceremony to mark the occasion, Hall County District Four Commissioner Jeff Stowe said the updates to the facility have been a long time in the making.
“The health department was built in the late 90s,” Stowe said. “What has happened to Hall County's population since the 1990s? It exploded. And yet, they're working out of the same space they did back 25 to 30 years ago.”
The project will add a new 8000-square-foot building to the current department. Additionally, the existing 33,000-square-foot facility will receive renovations, new parking spaces, and an access drive. Northeast Georgia Physicians Group, which currently leases space in the facility, will move into the new building, with renovations beginning on the existing facility after NGPG departs from the current facility.
President and Chief Administrative Officer of Northeast Georgia Physicians Group, Daniel Tuffy, told AccessWDUN that the forthcoming expansion is much needed.
“We're looking to add additional resources and more practitioners and more staff,” Tuffy said. “Currently in our existing facility, we're struggling with what we have. This new building will provide improved access to care, improved quality of care, and help increase the volume of patients we can see. The partnership between us and the county has been tremendous, and we're really grateful for all their support.”
The total budget for the project is $10.9 million and is funded by the American Rescue Plan Act and Special Purpose Local Options Sales Tax.
The project is expected to be completed in 2025. Stowe explained to AccessWDUN that the improvements are part of a larger project to improve the county.
“We've added Butler Park, the Butler Center has been redone,” he noted. “Once we get done with this facility, we, along with Gainesville, are going to be working on sidewalk improvements to connect the Midland– area Highlands to Islands trails to this area so it's walkable for this community. It's part of a much larger vision we have for the whole community.”
Stowe highlighted that while construction is occurring, the health department will continue to serve the community.
