A ground-breaking ceremony will be held at 3 p.m. Jan. 20 for a three-story medical office building with outpatient surgical tower that will be going up in Athens.

Athens-Limestone Hospital, INKANA Development and OrthoSports Athens will hold the ceremony for the $25 million facility being developed by ALH at the hospital’s Medical East campus at 22454 U.S. Highway 72 and Lindsey Lane.

“It is the largest healthcare project of its kind to have been planned for our area,” said hospital spokeswoman Felicia Lambert.

ALH President David Pryor said the building will be a medical office building and include a surgery center with six operating rooms, imaging and laboratory services and physician office space spread across 75,000 square feet. Construction is expected to take about one and a half years to complete. The project is considered an expansion of the ALH surgery department.

“We are excited for the opportunity to continue growth of health care services for the citizens of Limestone County with this project,” Pryor said.

Athens Mayor Ronnie Marks said he could not be happier about the project for a number of reasons.

“Not only will the people of Athens and Limestone County have a new medical facility to serve them, but it will also create jobs and that is always a good thing. Our ongoing commitment to our community is to improve quality of life, and this is an example of how we are growing as well as preparing for the future.”