Courtesy ­Image Architect's drawing of the planned five-story building.

Courtesy ­Image Overhead view of patient's rooms

Courtesy ­Image First level floor plan. The colored areas will be new. (Click on image to enlarge.)

Construction began a month ago on the west side of the Great Plains Regional Medical Center. It will continue for at least three years.

You've got a facebook Request! CLICK HERE!

Hospital officials formally announced Wednesday that a $100 million expansion is underway, toward a new five-story building.

There will be 116 private rooms and more space for families, as well as new equipment, information technology section, central utilities and parking.

The plan adds 210,000 square feet, with a new lobby, new kitchen and cafeteria, conference center, new sleep lab, an updated cardiac and pulmonary rehab area. Some non-clinical areas will be renovated too.

The costs will primarily be paid through the issuance of revenue bonds, officials said.

David Pederson, chairman of the hospital's board of directors, thanked the people of the area, the medical staff and the administrators over the past 40 years for making the expansion possible.

The time is right, Pederson said.

Work on the Information Technology addition on the west side is underway and construction another parking lot will begin in August.

Sampson Construction of Lincoln and Omaha is in charge. The plans were drawn by the architectural firm of Clark Enersen Partnership of Lincoln and Kansas City.

The areas affected by the construction will be relocated, beginning in November.

Demolition is scheduled to begin in February or March. The main entrance atrium area and gift shop will be torn down, affecting patient financial services, the same day services waiting area, outpatient behavioral health services, the sleep lab and human resources.

All hospital services will continue to be offered throughout the construction.

A temporary main entrance will be built east of the current entrance, with registration, information desk and gift shop.

Temporary entrances for same day services and cardiology will be opened south of the emergency room entrance.

Nearly 60 employees will move offsite while construction is underway. Plans are underway to relocate all or part of patient financial services, accounting and finance, billing and administration for the North Platte Nebraska Physician Group, human resources, education, marketing and the foundation office.

The new structure is expected to be finished in spring or summer or 2015. It will take another year to complete the work on other renovated areas, officials said.