Hundreds of people came to a Tuesday morning groundbreaking ceremony for the new Erlanger Children’s Hospital outpatient building.
The $40 million, three-story building on the corner of Third and Palmetto streets is scheduled to open in 18 months and will feature donated, Chattanooga-centric, kid-friendly touches such as an 1891 steam locomotive out front, hang gliders from Lookout Mountain inside and a tow truck on the third floor – since Chattanooga was the birthplace of the towing industry.
Financial donations from some 4,500 people ranging from an anonymous $4 million donor to paycheck deductions from hospital employees have raised $20.5 million.
The hospital 2015 pitched in another $11.5 million from bonds it refinanced in 2015, which means a total of $32 million has been raised to date and $8 million is still needed.
Fundraising on this level is new for the public hospital.