Lakeland HealthCare officials got a little dirty Thursday morning as they held a celebratory groundbreaking at the site of the future Lakeland Medical Suites in Niles.

“To get to this part today, where we can put shovels in the ground, is really a momentous occasion for us,” Lakeland President Warren White said. “It is with great excitement that we are here today.”

The new office building will be built just across the street from Lakeland Hospital at 42 North St. Joseph Ave., where the Chuck Day Music Center and Johnson Chiropractic Center once stood.

The new MOB has been planned based on expectations for the future and consolidating specialized services within the Lakeland system.

The 42,000-square-foot MOB is estimated to cost about $7.3 million for the building alone, said Mike Kastner, director of building services and construction management. Parking will be located around the building.

Those services that will be located at Lakeland Medical Suites include:

• Lakeland Cancer Specialists

• Lakeland Center for Wound Care and Hyperbaric Medicine

• Lakeland Comprehensive Weight Loss Center

• Lakeland Ear, Nose and Throat

• Lakeland General Surgery

• Lakeside Urology

• Southwestern Medical Clinic — Niles Center for Women’s Health

In an interview prior to the groundbreaking, White explained that the MOB will also offer more upgraded amenities.

“We are going to have more space and more state-of-the-art space,” he said. “We are building all these Lakeland positions into this building. There will be separate suites for them. Space, for years, has been an issue at our hospital.

“It’s really allowing us to combine some physicians,” White explained. “It’s more prompted about the need for these services in Niles. We want to meet the needs of people in Niles.”

Completion of construction of the new facility is expected in fall 2012.

To learn more about Lakeland HealthCare, visit www.lakelandhealth.org or call its general question phone line at (800) 968-0115.