Plans to build a new hospital in Lake County under a Project Labor Agreement are back on the table following a one-year pause due to COVID-19, creating hundreds of jobs for area union trades.

In late April, the City of Mentor announced the Cleveland Clinic will break ground later this year on the new hospital project.

The new construction will provide work for 300 to 400 affiliated members of the Cleveland Building Trades, according to Dave Wondolowski, Cleveland Building and Construction Trades Council Executive Secretary.

As has been the case with previous Cleveland Clinic projects, the construction work will be covered by a PLA with the Cleveland Building Trades.

Located in the Newell Creek development between Norton Parkway and Interstate-90 – right off of the I-90/Route 615 interchange – the facility will sit on 47-acres of land, providing room for potential future expansion.

While no actual ground breaking date was announced, City of Mentor officials expect design plans for the hospital to be submitted in early summer, with construction to beginby year’s end. Work is expected to wrap up in 2023.

This project has been in the works for a number of years, as the nation’s second-ranked hospital system has looked to increase its presence in Lake County.

Currently, there are just two hospitals in the county – both owned by Lake Health Systems, which has a partnership with University Hospitals.

Construction on the new Mentor hospital was set to begin last year, but was paused because of the coronavirus pandemic and the need to preserve resources for patients, caregivers and the community.

With Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine recently lifting most COVID-19 restrictions, the Clinic is again focusing on expanding its services.

“The Cleveland Clinic Mentor Hospital will offer services that support the healthcare needs of the community,” said Cleveland Clinic spokeswoman Kate McLain. “We are pleased to proceed with building Mentor Hospital and expanding Cleveland Clinic care in the Lake County community.”

The proposed full-service hospital is a new concept for the health center, which will allow for scalable expansion in future phases, according to a news release from the City. The project will initially include an emergency care center, primary and specialty services, advanced imaging, support and a proportionate number of hospital beds.

While the news that the project would finally move forward was not unexpected, it was a welcomed announcement for the members of IBEW Local 673, whose Union Hall is just minutes away from the site.

“They are very excited to work on this project and were very disappointed when it got postponed due to the pandemic,” said Dave Phillips, IBEW Local 673 Business Manager. “We hope that it starts quickly to provide work opportunities for our members and our NECA contractor partners.”

While the opportunity to work near home is nice, there is an additional sense of pride that goes into working on one of the biggest projects in recent memory in your community.

“With gas prices creeping up, our members will be very happy to be close to the house,” Phillips said. “But it is not just about saving money and a short drive, but giving our members a sense of pride as they drive past the project with their family, telling their kids daddy worked on that project and helped build it.”

Work in the Local’s jurisdiction has been slow recently, but is beginning to pick up as COVID-19 restrictions were relaxed. The opportunity to work on this project is about more than just earning a paycheck, Phillips said.

“I believe any large signature project in our area is an awesome opportunity to showcase our members talents and to provide proof to the community that with proper coordination, construction projects can be completed on-time and under budget, with no concern about manpower shortages,” Phillips added.