BENNINGTON, Vt. (AP) - The Southwestern Vermont Medical Center in Bennington hopes to be able to move forward soon with a $25.8 million modernization and expansion of the emergency department, officials say.
“I think things have gotten slowed down, because of COVID, with both the regulatory process and with us,” Dee said during a recent briefing on the project. “We are not through the regulatory process yet, but we’re very close, and hopefully by the end of 2020 we’ll be through it.”
After minor design changes, officials expect to be able to break ground in the second quarter of 2021. It’s hoped construction will be completed in 2023.
The plans for the first major upgrade of the emergency department since 1996 include nearly doubling its size.
In the mid-1990s the department was treating about 15,000 patients a year. Recently the average as been about 23,700 a year.
The Bennington Banner reports the hospital will renovate 7,700 square feet of building space and construct another 6,700 square feet to modernize the department.
The hospital will also will create a new main entrance and relocate a number of departments.
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