This article originally appeared on The Chattanoogan.
Hoar Construction on Monday announced the groundbreaking of the 54,000-square-foot rehabilitation hospital in Ooltewah, outside of Chattanooga. Hoar is serving as general contractor for construction of the inpatient hospital, which is set to open in spring 2027 and is being developed by The Sanders Trust, with Lifepoint Health as the owner and in partnership with CommonSpirit.
The rehabilitation hospital will house 40 beds, with 12 beds used for patients with brain injuries. Amenities curated to encourage patient activity and assist with rehabilitation into daily life include a courtyard with a bocce ball court, pickleball court and chipping green; an Activities of Daily Living (ADL) suite that includes a washer and dryer, kitchen set and bathtub; and multiple multidisciplinary therapy gymnasiums.
The hospital will also have a separate café for staff, patients and visitors.
“This groundbreaking marks an exciting step in bringing upgraded, high-quality rehabilitation services to the Chattanooga region,” said Mike Hubbard, project manager at Hoar. “Our team is proud to partner with CommonSpirit, Lifepoint Health and The Sanders Trust to deliver a facility that is thoughtfully designed to support patient recovery and independence. Hoar remains focused on executing this project safely, efficiently and with the level of quality that is expected for healthcare environments.”
Hoar is leveraging advanced technology to enhance coordination and efficiency throughout construction, including OpenSpace AI to map and monitor progress with 360-degree cameras, and building information modeling to build 3D models of the site for use in planning and design. The hospital is located on a wetland area, and Hoar will bring in dirt to create the building pad, requiring careful site planning and coordination to navigate existing environmental conditions and maintain progress on schedule.
Additional project partners include Earl Swensson Associates as the architect, Enfinity Engineering as the MEP engineer and Crunk Engineering as the civil engineer.
Officials said, “Hoar has established itself as one of the nation’s leading healthcare builders, completing nearly $1.5 billion in healthcare projects over the past 10 years. Hoar previously worked with Lifepoint Health on the 62,000-square-foot Northeast Georgia Rehabilitation Institute in Gainesville, Ga., and recently completed a $19 million expansion and renovation project for the Crisp Regional Hospital in Cordele, Ga.
