Columbia hospital breaks ground on new expansion

Construction began Monday following the ground breaking of Boone Hospital’s new south campus in Columbia.

The medical plaza will be in south Columbia at the corner of Forum and Nifong Blvd. The $20 million dollar project is expected to be completed in 2015.

Fred Parry, Chairman of the Boone Hospital Board of Trustees said the project will provide a significant amount of jobs to local construction companies like Coil Construction who is currently working on the building.

Parry said, “This is a big move for us. The trustees bought this land 21 years ago, really when it was just a cow pasture out in the middle of south Columbia. No one really would have anticipated that these country roads would one day be the intersection of really the hottest commercial real estate in Columbia.”

Lanes will be added to both Forum and Nifong boulevards to accommodate the project. The memorial of police officer Molly Bowden who was killed in the line of duty will be moved.

Parry said it will not be in a permanent spot with a park and reflective pool on the medical campus.