Pictured is a new rendering of the Brooks-TLC Hospital.

Kaleida Health announced Monday that initial site work for the new $224 million Northern Chautauqua Hospital project begins this week.

Turner Construction Co. subcontracted with Fredonia-based S. St. George General Contracting to perform the preliminary site work, including setting up temporary staging areas, fencing the property and grading the site. Initial work will depend on the weather and the need for the land to drain and dry out.

“It’s exciting to be underway. We are deeply grateful to Gov. Kathy Hochul for her continued support of this project,” said Don Boyd, president and CEO of Kaleida Health. “This investment in our new hospital will ensure that individuals and families in Chautauqua County and nearby communities can receive high‒quality care close to home. It’s a transformative and meaningful step toward a healthier, more resilient future for our Southern Tier region, and we appreciate the governor’s partnership in making it a reality.”

This comes in the wake of Kaleida Health’s January filing, in conjunction with Brooks-TLC Hospital System, Inc. (BTLC), of a building permit with the Village of Fredonia for the NCH’s construction.

A preliminary grant from New York state and commitment from the Kaleida Health Board of Directors enabled the start of preliminary construction set up and site-preparation work. These developments will move the team toward its goal of opening the hospital, estimated to handle more than 260,000 patient visits a year, by the end of 2028.

“These two milestones build momentum and shift our efforts from planning and applying for needed pieces of the construction puzzle to actually beginning site-enabling work for the future foundation and steel installations. Those will be determined and based on full state approval, which is expected in the near future,” said Ken Morris, president, Brooks-TLC Hospital System.

The hospital is planned as a one‒story, 133,000‒square‒foot facility at 412 E. Main St. in Fredonia. The project originated after Kaleida Health and Brooks‒TLC Hospital System affiliated in 2016, and momentum increased when Gov. Hochul renewed $74 million in state funding for the hospital’s construction.

The new hospital, to be built on a 30-acre former grape vineyard, will offer 15 medical-surgical beds; a 16-bay emergency department; five observation beds; primary care and specialty services clinics; three operating rooms and three procedure rooms; an imaging suite; a pharmacy, laboratory and other support services. The hospital also will have a helipad for emergency patient arrivals.