On Tuesday morning, in what was once the parking lot of the Safeway building on West Broadway, officials and dignitaries gathered to help Providence St. Patrick Hospital break ground for a new multi-million dollar healthcare facility right across the street from the Broadway building.

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Providence St. Patrick Hospital CEO Joyce Dombrouski explained the ceremonial groundbreaking.

“We wanted to make it intimate, focusing on our Providence colleagues who helped us work this through our system,” said Dombrouski. “Certainly the community members who are here, our foundation board, our ministry board and all of our staff are welcome here today, because it has honestly taken a community, and it has taken us time to persevere, but here we are.”

Dombrouski provided details about the facility that will rise three stories over the present parking lot and will be connected to the main building by a walking bridge that will span McCormack Street.

“So, in the 600 West Broadway building, we will have three floors of parking and we’ll have clinical services for the International Heart Institute, neurosciences, internal medicine, an ambulatory surgery center, and we’re working on the details as we bring this together,” she said. “It’s going to be about $127 to $130 million project, and it’s going to take us from three to four years.”

On hand to speak and wield a ceremonial groundbreaking shovel was Missoula Mayor John Engen.

“In the city of Missoula we are all about making sure that everyone in our community has an opportunity to enjoy a high quality of life,” said Mayor Engen. “A big part of that is access to healthcare, so the building that will tip up here and the other buildings across the street all contribute to make Missoula a regional medical center and a place where people can have their needs met regardless of their means.”

Chief Mission Officer for Providence Medical Group, Jani Houston, presided over a blessing of the water and the earth before several VIP’s used their shovels to break ground for the new facility.

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