Ascension Parish’s growing population is drawing new medical and fitness construction to Gonzales, including a $25 million proposal from Our Lady of the Lake.
The health system is proposing a three-story, 70,996-square-foot medical office building next to Our Lady of the Lake St. Elizabeth Hospital on La. 30. The project is valued at an estimated $25 million, according to its new construction permit application, and Ritter Maher Architects is designing it.
FMOL Health, the hospital’s parent system, said the building is a response to population growth in the parish. “Over the past several years, we have seen an increase in families who call Ascension Parish home,” a statement from FMOL Health to Ascension Business Report read. The system said the new building would give providers more space to see patients closer to home.
The Gonzales project is part of a larger capital program. FMOL Health has more than $500 million in capital projects underway to expand capacity and improve patient care, as previously reported by Business Report. The system also recently acquired the former Bone and Joint Clinic, which is slated to become the home of the Our Lady of the Lake Cancer Institute as part of a $70 million investment. The system says the facility will expand access to cancer care for patients across the Capital Region, Louisiana and the Gulf South.
A second wellness project is also proposed for Gonzales. Planet Fitness is seeking to build a 27,000-square-foot fitness center on South Cajun Avenue near Home Depot, a project valued at about $1.5 million, according to permit filings. Ohio-based MT Studio submitted the architectural plans. The chain operates eight locations across the Capital Region, including two in Ascension Parish—on North Airline Highway in Gonzales and Airline Highway in Prairieville.
Both projects are under review for approval.
