Officials with the city of Athens, Limestone County Commission, Athens-Limestone Hospital and the Huntsville Hospital System break ground Friday on a new $25 million surgery center being built at 22454 U.S. 72 in Athens. The three-story center will take approximately 18 months to complete.

Local government officials and representatives with the Huntsville Hospital System on Friday broke ground on a new outpatient surgery center to be located in the Medical East campus in Athens.

The $25 million project represents the largest health care construction project in Limestone County in several years, according to a press release.

The three-story building will include six operating rooms, imaging and laboratory services, plus physician office space spread across 75,000 square feet. Construction is expected to take about 18 months.

The project, which represents a partnership between Athens-Limestone Hospital, INKANA Development and OrthoSports Athens, is considered an expansion of Athens-Limestone Hospital’s Surgery Department.

“We are excited for the opportunity to continue the growth of health care services for the residents of Limestone County with this project,” said Athens-Limestone Hospital President David Pryor.

Huntsville Hospital CEO David Spillers thanked officials with Athens and Limestone County for their support of the project and the hospital. He explained Athens-Limestone Hospital was the first outside Madison County to join the Huntsville Hospital System.

The system also includes hospitals in Decatur, Moulton, Red Bay, Sheffield, Russellville, Haleyville, and Winfield. Huntsville Hospital Health System is the third-largest publicly owned hospital system in the nation.

“ … I think it’s been a mutually beneficial relationship. We have grown. Athens has grown and our patients are better for it,” Spiller said. “This is a significant investment into this community. With Athens-Limestone, we made a commitment that we were going to keep as much health care local as we possibly could to support this community’s growth and this is an opportunity to do that.”

Athens Mayor Ronnie Marks and Limestone County Commission Chairman Mark Yarbrough said the project would benefit all Limestone Countians.

“There is so much energy with what is going on in Athens and Limestone County right now,” said Marks said. “This is a great opportunity to provide better quality of life and health care services.”

Yarbrough said he appreciated the Huntsville Hospital System’s commitment to the area.

“It’s only going to enhance the quality of life and the services we’re able to provide to the people of the city and this county,” he said.