Ground breaking on Auburn Regional Medical Center’s long-delayed oncology center and parking garage project is set for Aug. 15.

Last week ARMC turned in for city review civil plans for the center parking garage west of the hospital and north of City Hall. Civil plans reference such issues as relocation of water lines and street issues. Site plans are expected in soon.

The time of the groundbreaking has not yet been set.

The city and the hospital will share the parking garage and its 310 stalls.

“They came in yesterday for us to begin the review process,” Auburn Public Works Director Dennis Dowdy said July 25. “The plans are currently under review, and our goal is to try to get something approved in about a week. It is one of our highest priority projects and has been for some time.”

ARMC’s project, first proposed in 2004, is key to another development. Developer Jeff Oliphant plans to demolish the old Tavern block east of City Hall and replace it with a City Hall annex, a medical and office building and a bank, have been stalled while he waited for assurance that the parking for city employees who would use his building would actually be there.

Hospital spokeswoman Patricia Bailey did not return calls for this article, but city officials said they had been told work should begin earnest by the first week of August.

“Hallelujah,” said Auburn Mayor Pete Lewis. “It’s the start of something not connected with the four-to six-block (Auburn Junction) development south of Main Street, but it’s an indication of what’s to come. Finally, we’ll be able to take those old, decrepit taverns down and be able to have something new come in that still complements the downtown. It’s a start, a declaration and a statement.

“It’s all the civil stuff, but we’ll have that back to them soon so they can start,” Lewis said. “(The garage) is part of the parking requirements for the annex building because our employees are going to be there and use it. Oliphant cannot get approval to start until the permits for the parking garage are turned in. Those two blocks are locked arm in arm.”

Oliphant was unavailable for comment Friday.

Contact Auburn Reporter News reporter Robert Whale at rwhale@auburn-reporter.com or 253-833-0218, ext. 5052.

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