Brooks-TLC’s plan for a new hospital on Main Street in Fredonia hit another key milestone this week.

“Anybody who believes the hospital’s not coming here: The check came in for a building permit. So they’re getting a building permit,” said Fredonia’s top code officer, Charles LaBarbera, at a Fredonia Board of Trustees workshop.

LaBarbera said St. George contracting is currently “doing some siting work…they have to figure out where retention ponds should go.”

Large construction vehicles have been parked at the site, a former Cornell Cooperative Extension grape farm, for a couple weeks now — awaiting the call to start digging.

The project received contingent approval for a certificate of need from the state Health Department earlier in January. That reportedly allowed early site and project enabling work at the East Main Street site. Fencing, trailer excavation and grading with utility trenching was eligible to start as of Jan. 12. Early start approval, however, excludes any construction that would include work with the foundation or steel.

According to documents filed with the state Health Department, the $223 million project is expected to incorporate medical office space with outpatient services in a 133,000-square-foot facility that will include 15 medical and surgical beds with an additional five observation beds.

Additionally, the Emergency Department capacity will increase from nine bays to 16 and include designated trauma, bariatric and sexual assault services.

Gov. Kathy Hochul announced $74 million in funding for the project in June 2024 at a press conference and community celebration in the Williams Center at the State University of New York at Fredonia. Additional funding, which could come from the state, Kaleida and philanthropy, remains in the works.