Groundbreaking on $6 Million Facility

A groundbreaking was held Friday for a new $6 million health center in Zanesville.

"The Charles Building" will be constructed in the parking lot of the current Muskingum Valley Health Center. C.E.O Lisa King says the current facility used to be a hotel, so it’s not designed properly for a medical center.

"The building was built in the 70s before the ‘Americans with Disabilities Act’ so we have a very hard time getting people in and out and down through the elevators, especially if there has to be ambulance access," says King.

The land for the new center was donated by Genesis and the entire project will be paid for through a federal grant. King says employees are looking forward to the move.

"They’re just very excited to work in an environment that’s intended to give care," she says. "It’s going to make us a lot more efficient, It’s going to make us a lot more energy efficient especially with our heating and cooling system."

Construction on the new medical center will begin this fall. It is expected to be completed November 2011. The old building will then be demolished and turned into a parking lot.