PCI breaks ground for new medical pavilion in Cedar Rapids

CEDAR RAPIDS  – With brief acknowledgment of controversial decisions involved in staying near downtown Cedar Rapids, leaders and supporters of Physicians' Clinic of Iowa looked to the future as they broke ground Thursday, May 19, 2011, on the new PCI medical mall.

“It's been an extremely complicated, complex project,” Dr. Bill Devine, president of PCI, said in thanking CEO Mike Sundall for his leadership. “I think he's done a fine job.”

A passerby who yelled an obscenity was ignored by the crowd of more than 200 who gathered at 10

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Street and Second Avenue SE for the ceremony.

The project, known as the Physicians' Clinic of Iowa Medical Pavilion, brings together PCI's five offices into one location, at 202 10

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St. SE.

“PCI chose this site. Not the easiest site … not a site certainly without discussion and even controversy,” City Manager Jeff Pomeranz said, referring to the City Council's vote to close two blocks of Second Avenue SE for the building. The street closed this week.

Pomeranz said because PCI chose to stay in Cedar Rapids, rather than move elsewhere – the group of specialists had contemplated building in Hiawatha –  the city was able to retain jobs, with more created in the project's construction.

PCI agreed to employ 315 full-time people when the facility opens in early 2013, down from the 332 currently employed because of efficiencies brought by the consolidation of offices.

The development agreement also calls for the city to provide $13.24 million in front-end spending for a parking ramp and street improvements for the project, to be paid off with new property tax revenue generated by the development over the next 25 years.

Gov. Terry Branstad cited the project as a great marketing tool to attract other businesses to Iowa.

“There's no doubt that health care and economic growth go together,” he said, at one point erroneously referring to the group as CPI.

Branstad said the project will help Iowa achieve its goal of being the healthiest state in the nation.

Poster boards showed uses for each of the three levels of the 221,144-square-foot building.

Urology, diagnostic imaging, orthopedics, hematology, oncology, rheumatology, laboratory and physical therapy will be on the first floor, along with a pharmacy and café near the entrance.

Otolaryngology, neurology, surgical specialists, community cancer center, bone and breast health and cardiology will be on the second floor.

A community education center, meeting space and administrative and executive offices will be on the smaller third floor. Space for tenants is also noted on the first two floors.

The cost of the $47 million project includes the four-story parking ramp, to be built across the street at 10

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Street and Second Avenue SE.

Echoing what PCI's doctors said about the new building, Mardene Marquart, 73, said she will like having all of her appointments in one location.

The Jesup woman, one of 10 patients who participated in the groundbreaking, had two knees replaced by PCI orthopedic surgeon, Dr. David Hart.

“I had to go to several places for X-rays and blood tests and other tests,” she said. “This will be nice to have it in one spot.”