SANDPOINT - The county's sick and the local economy both stand to gain from the facility set for construction on Bonner General Hospital's new downtown lot.

The hospital itself and the broader community will see a bustle of economic activity this spring from the construction of a two-story, 40,000 square-foot lot that will occupy about a quarter of the former Taylor and Sons Chevrolet downtown lot the hospital purchased in June. The hospital administration is in the process of bringing all its finances in order for the development next year.

Once the number-crunching concludes, Bonner General officials will issue a bid to local contractors for the construction job. Since the exact costs not yet been determined, Neujahr said it's unclear precisely how big a contract the facility will be for local construction firms. Nevertheless, it stands to provide a significant

Once the facility is constructed, the offices for the marketing, community development, patient pre-registration, home health, hospice care, education, accounting, business and out-patient rehab departments will move into the new space.

The building's first floor will include retail space, out-patient rehabilitation, administration and home care. On the second floor, visitors will find the education department, conference rooms and physician offices.

According to preliminary designs by Colorado-based consultants Hammes Co., hospital associates anticipate the new building will be L-shaped, occupying the corners of Cedar Street and Third Avenue. The rest of the lot will be used for parking space.