Catholic Medical Center (CMC), a member of GraniteOne Health, officially marked the start of construction this morning on a multi-year project to transform its campus on the West Side of Manchester. CMC recently received all necessary approvals from the City of Manchester to begin work on the project. Plans include a new building that will house state-of-the-art facilities for the New England Heart & Vascular Institute, up to 90 private patient rooms, additional operating suites, and a larger, upgraded Emergency Department. A new, free-standing Rite Aid store will also be built on site. “This project demonstrates CMC’s commitment to increasing patient access to the highest quality care with the best customer experience,” said President & CEO Joseph Pepe, MD. “I want to thank the many people who worked to make this happen, including Mayor Joyce Craig, Governor Chris Sununu, the Board of Aldermen, and the Manchester Planning and Community Development Department, as well as our neighbors, St. Mary’s Bank and Rite Aid. I think it’s safe to say we’re all excited about what’s happening here on the West Side.” “This exciting project will not only increase access to high quality health care in our community, but also transform an important gateway to Manchester’s West Side,” said Mayor Joyce Craig. “A project of this size and complexity requires many stakeholders to work together and I want to thank CMC for their collaborative approach and demonstrating their commitment to our community.” The Rite Aid currently located on the property will stay open during construction of the new store. Normal operations at St. Mary’s Bank, also located on the site, will likewise be unaffected. Work begins this month with demolition of the vacant portion of the Rite Aid strip mall, followed by construction of the new store and, finally, groundbreaking on the hospital addition. Regular updates will be posted here: catholicmedicalcenter.org/growth