Construction of the Joan Secchia Children's Rehabilitation Hospital reached a significant milestone Thursday as crews placed the final steel beam on the $70 million facility.
The ceremonial "topping off" came nine months after breaking ground on the project. Joan Secchia and other dignitaries attended the celebration marking the end of the steelwork phase.
The 67,000-square-foot, three-story hospital is a partnership between Mary Free Bed and Helen DeVos Children's Hospital. When completed, it will feature 24 private rooms and specialized rehabilitation services exclusively for pediatric patients.
Officials expect the facility to serve approximately 2,500 children annually. It will become Michigan's only rehabilitation hospital designed exclusively for infants, children, and teens, and just the ninth such facility in the United States.
"This will mean that there is always going to be room for kids that need our rehabilitation care, little kids and big kids, instead of capacity issues where we can't take care of everybody, now we will be able to take care of all kids," said Kent Riddle, Mary Free Bed Hospital System CEO.
Construction is scheduled to continue for more than a year, with the facility planned to open in fall 2026.
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