“It’s a first for Goodgame,” said Jason Goodgame with Goodgame Company Inc., who is helping oversee the St. Vincent’s St. Clair Hospital construction project.
He said Hoar Construction of Birmingham is the actual construction manager for project.
He said technicians will install live Internet feed at the building site, so the public can watch the construction progress of the new St. Vincent’s St. Clair Hospital.
“I’m looking forward to it,” Goodgame said. “People can always go on the Internet and know what’s going on. I think it will be a great asset to this project.”
Lauren Nichols, a spokeswoman for St. Vincent’s Health System, said a website is being created for the new hospital that should be online by early fall.
“This website will have daily updated pictures from the construction site, so the community can follow the hospital progress online,” Nichols said.
She said the website will display time lapse video, so the public is able to watch the progress-to-date unfold before their eyes.
She said the new website will also have information about upcoming events, interesting facts and information about how people can get involved with the fundraising efforts for the new facility.
“That’s fantastic,” said Don Smith, director for the St. Clair County Economic Development Council. “That’s really a great idea. There is so much community support and excitement about this project. This is such a great way to share what is happening with everyone in the community.”
He said it’s gratifying to see all the progress being made at the new hospital site after the hard work by so many people to make the new St. Vincent’s St. Clair Hospital a reality.
“Before you know it, ‘we’re going to have a state-of-the-art hospital,” Smith said.
Goodgame said actual construction of the new hospital should begin by the end of September.
He said their focus now is on preparing the site, parking lot and the first 700 feet of road to the site.
He said project cooperation between St. Clair County and Pell City is great.
“Dan Dahlke (county engineer) and Mike Martin (city street superintendent) are doing a great job, and their crews are working well together,” Goodgame said.
He said once construction of the new hospital begins, it should take about 14 months to complete the new facility.
The new hospital construction site is just north of Interstate 20, west of the Jefferson State Community College campus.
Goodgame said Friday they recently received a permit from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers for the road access to Wolf Creek Road North.
“We’re crossing what they consider a wetland,” he said.
The new $31.4 million hospital project is a joint venture between St. Vincent’s Health System, the St. Clair County Commission, Pell City, the St. Clair Healthcare Authority and the St. Clair County Economic Development Council.
The 79,000 square feet, two-story, hospital will have 40-beds and will replace the old St. Vincent’s St. Clair Hospital on Dr. John Haynes Drive.
The ground floor of the hospital will house the emergency department, laboratory, dietary department or cafeteria, administrative offices, hospital chapel, lobby and other departments.
Surgery, same day surgery preparation and recovery/observation, waiting, critical care unit, inpatient room and pharmacy are planned for the second-floor of the new hospital.
The hospital will have state-of-the-art diagnostic equipment, including CAT scan, MRI and Nuclear Medicine.
The new hospital will sit on 20 acres, adjacent to where the construction of a new Veteran’s Administration Home is planned.
St. Vincent’s St. Clair Hospital serves close to 50,000 patients each year.
