Press Releases
DATE: 16 June 2009
RELEASE NO: 09-19
Grace Hill breaking ground on new Water Tower Health Center
Larger facility will increase access to patient care
By Mr. Gerald Sonnenberg
ST. LOUIS, Mo. -- On June 24, the board of directors and staff of Grace Hill Neighborhood Health Centers (GHNHC) will host a groundbreaking event for its new Grace Hill Water Tower Health Center facility. They will be joined by their sister organization, the Grace Hill Settlement House, and several regional officials. Residents of the area are encouraged to attend.
The 10 a.m. ceremony will take place at 4414 N. Florissant—across the street from the Grace Hill Water Tower Health Center’s former location at 4308 N. Grand.
Alan O. Freeman, GHNHC President/CEO, will welcome Missouri State Senator Robin Wright-Jones and St. Louis City Ward 3 Alderman Freeman Bosley, Sr. to the podium for ceremonial remarks. The offices of Mayor Slay, Senators Bond and McCaskill, Representatives Clay and Carnahan, as well as area State Representatives Carter, Jones, Morris, and Mott-Oxford have received invitations.
Construction on the new 18,400 square foot facility begins this month and is scheduled to be completed by the summer of 2010. The larger, state-of-the-art facility will provide added capacity for doctors, dentists and other clinicians. GHNHC anticipates increasing access to care by at least 30 percent.
The previous Grace Hill Water Tower facility was lost when fire raged through the Grand Plaza Shopping Center on April 16. The structure was condemned by the City. As of June 22nd, the Water Tower staff and services will be located at the Grace Hill Hadley Health Center, a clinic site that will be open for service in the North City until the new Water Tower facility is constructed.
Two million dollars in funding for the project was provided through an appropriation by the Missouri State Legislature. The expenditure was endorsed by Missouri Governor Jay Nixon during a press conference at Grace Hill on Feb. 13, 2009. The architectural firm Arcturis designed the new facility, and Paric Construction will be the general contractor.
A part of St. Louis for more than 100 years, Grace Hill Health Centers, Inc. (GHHC) is a federally qualified health center and provides low-cost, primary and preventive health care at six locations to primarily low-income and uninsured residents in the City of St. Louis and St. Louis County. GHHC is accredited through the Joint Commission.
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