ST. FRANCIS MOVES HANGAR TO MAKE WAY FOR EXPANSION

Moving crews began relocating the helicopter hangar at St. Francis Medical Center Wednesday afternoon.

The project was expected to be complete today, said Jay Wolz, a marketing and public relations specialist for the hospital.

The ground-level hangar was moved about 100 to 150 yards north of the old site, Wolz said. "It was being moved because it was directly in the footprint of the medical office building that will be going up between the parking garage and the existing hospital," he said.

AirEvac contracts with the hospital to maintain a base on the site, Wolz said. The air ambulance service handled 595 patient flights to and from St. Francis in 1995, and had 816 requests for service.

The old hangar area included two helicopter pads, one just outside the hangar door and another larger pad that served as the main take-off and landing pad, he said.

The new hangar will feature three pads, allowing for more helicopter traffic in and out of the hospital, Wolz said.

The fuel tanks were also moved, he said.

Construction of the medical office building is expected to begin within 30 to 60 days, with completion scheduled for next year, Wolz said.

The three-story parking garage now under construction should be complete by late spring, he said, and will hold 630 vehicles.