Construction and Repairs Pick Up at Mercy Health Love County
Posted on Tuesday, February 25th, 2025
Renovation of Growers Market: Jessica Crosthwait, right, hospital
administrative assistant confers with Jokson Loyola, Andrea Hufford,
and Louis Inman of the Mooring Company as they work to convert
the former Growers Market to an ambulance station.
Temporary Emergency Room: Workers with Asher Company set up
construction equipment on Legacy Park Lane on February 25 to build a temporary
emergency room for Mercy Health Love County.
Sleeping Rooms, Showers, Restrooms and More: Jokson Loyola, project
superintendent with Mooring Company shows dividers going up February 24,
2025, inside the former Growers Market to accomodate personnel of EMT Station 1.
Indoor Improvements in Clinic: Laminate flooring and a new paint job
spruced up the Mercy Health Love County Clinic on February 24, 2025.
(February 25, 2025) For several weeks, Legacy Park Lane in Marietta will be the busiest street in town. Simultaneous new construction and renovation projects are going on at Mercy Health Love County buildings and lots along that stretch of roadway, which terminates at Legacy Park.
The work is part of recovery from the April 27 tornado that struck the medical complex. Helping with the projects is the hospital’s Jessica Crosthwait, who gave a tour of the activity Monday. “We want people to know they are not forgotten. We are working to provide the community with the medical services they need,” she said.
She suggested that Park visitors stay off of Legacy Park Lane during the day while construction traffic remains heavy.
Temporary Emergency Room -- At the lot set aside for a temporary emergency room, a construction trailer and fencing arrived Monday morning. Workers from Asher Construction Company, a specialist in medical facilities, were on site to begin ground work and pour a concrete slab.
That prepares the way for Serenus Johnson Company to bring in and assemble prefab buildings. They will be joined to create a unified 2,500 square foot facility. This will mark the return of emergency medical care in which midlevel providers will be on duty 24 hours a day. The laboratory department will also be fully restored.
EMS Station 1 – The former Growers Market building is being renovated to replace an ambulance station that was destroyed in the tornado. Workers from the Mooring Company are engaged in the steel construction of nine sleeping rooms, as well as offices, break room, kitchen, restrooms, showers, and supply rooms.
Jokson Loyola, project superintendent, is also a reservist with Army engineering units. Mooring Company specializes in disaster restoration. “It is satisfying to help the people of Love County,” he said.
“Finishing the EMS station allows us to park more ambulances here rather than having them drive up from Station 2 in Thackerville (Winstar Casino),” Crosthwait said. “Cutting down on emergency response time is the number one priority right now.”
Radiology, Social Services, and Administration – All new radiology equipment will be purchased, and a renovation inside the Therapy Building starts Saturday to reopen the radiology department. The Mooring Company is engaged in that project then will move on to make repairs to fully restore the Administration Building and the Social Services Building.
Status of Hospital – Crosthwait reported that FEMA has released the funds to enable the hospital to let bids for architectural services. The selected firm will draw up alternative plans for restoring the heavily-damaged hospital or demolishing it and building a new one on the same site. “It is two years and possibly more to re-open,” she said.
Clinic Improvement – Over the weekend, new laminate flooring and a new paint job refreshed the interior of the clinic.