BLUEFIELD, WV (WOAY) – The city of Bluefield will soon have a new health center in the heart of it’s downtown.
Recently the Bluefield Economic Development Authority transferred ownership of the historic Hawley Building located on Bland Street to Bluestone Health. Their plan is to repurpose the building into a brand new health center for the area.
According to the Economic Development Authority’s Executive Director Jim Spencer, work on the project has already begun.
“It’s a federally qualified health clinic that will be in the downtown here in Bluefield. They will renovate the existing building to meet their standards to provide healthcare. And it’s very important. Everyone wants quality healthcare in their community and this is a big step for Bluefield,” Spencer said.
The health center also comes just after Bluefield Hospital was largely shut down. The hospital still provides emergency services, but the city wants this health center to provide necessary health care for all purposes.
“We want to have a backup plan. And healthcare is very important, whether it’s just stitches, needing a flu shot or something like that. Being able to get in and out of the facility and not having to wait for hours is very important.”
Work on the project began this month with internal demolition of the building. Bluestone Health is expected to fully complete the project within 12 months, but the Economic Development Authority believes that if things go well, work may be completed by as early as this summer.
