The hospital in Gonzales says Ascension Parish is growing. Now the hospital is growing too.
On Tuesday, Sept. 29, Our Lady of the Lake St. Elizabeth broke ground on a $59 million expansion that will add a new medical office building to its campus at 1125 West Highway 30. As WBRZ reported, FMOL Health leaders, Ascension Parish officials, civic leaders, care teams, project partners and community supporters gathered for the ceremony, which leaders described as the largest healthcare investment in Ascension Parish.
"Today is going to the beginning of the new building, which will allow us to really expand all of our doctors' offices and to bring more physicians here, which will allow us to deliver more care," Chief Medical Officer Chris Trevino said.
What's being built
According to the health system, as reported by the Healthcare Journal of Baton Rouge and other outlets, the new building will be three stories and about 71,000 square feet. It will house women's primary care, cardiology services and other specialties, all with diagnostic imaging capabilities, along with outpatient pharmacy and laboratory services. The building is designed with room to add services as community needs change.
The design includes:
- A new facade.
- A newly designed shared main lobby.
- A second-floor connection linking the new building to the existing hospital.
- Two new elevators.
- Potential space for retail and coffee kiosks.
- Expanded campus parking for patients and visitors.
Wayfinding and patient reception and waiting areas were designed to make the campus easy to navigate, the health system said.
The existing hospital is a 57-bed acute care facility that provides emergency, inpatient, surgical, diagnostic, specialty and outpatient care, and handles about 32,000 emergency room visits a year. The Healthcare Journal of Baton Rouge noted the hospital holds seven "Straight A" Leapfrog ratings for patient safety and quality. Construction began in September 2026, with completion estimated in early 2028.
Who's building it
Here's a project where the builder is public. Arkel Constructors lists the job on its website as OLOL St. Elizabeth MOB 3 and says it is delivering the third medical office building at the hospital. Arkel lists FMOL Health as the owner, Ritter Maher Architects as the architect, and the size as 70,996 square feet.
Arkel says the project includes demolition, renovation, site work and general construction. The facility includes clinical spaces such as a cardiology clinic, along with patient care, staff and support areas.
The builder's description gives a good picture of what goes into a job like this. Arkel lists healthcare-specific systems and finishes, including medical equipment, specialized fire protection and life safety systems, access control, communications, HVAC, plumbing and electrical.
And because the work is happening next to a working hospital, Arkel says the project "requires careful coordination and phasing to maintain continuity of hospital operations and protect patients, staff, and visitors throughout construction." The company says the job also includes infection control, interim life safety measures and risk assessment procedures.
The health system says the expansion is meant to strengthen access to care for area residents. According to WBRZ, the new building will provide more room for primary care and women's health services, while creating a welcoming connection between the hospital and the surrounding community.
For patients, that means more doctors' offices and more services in one place on the Highway 30 campus. For the hospital, it means room to bring in more physicians, as Trevino put it, without sending patients farther away for care.
The hospital has served the community for more than 50 years and has been part of FMOL Health for more than a quarter-century, according to the health system.
Why it matters for Contractors
A $59 million, three-story medical office building is a major healthcare job for the Baton Rouge region, and Arkel Constructors is the firm running it. Healthcare work is specialized, so electrical, mechanical, plumbing, fire protection, low-voltage and access control subcontractors with medical experience are especially valuable here. The connection to a working 57-bed hospital means infection control, interim life safety and careful phasing, which favors crews who have worked in occupied healthcare settings before. Site contractors have expanded parking to build, elevator installers have two new units to put in, and interior trades have clinics, imaging spaces, a pharmacy and a lab to finish. Subcontractors interested in the remaining work should reach out to Arkel, with completion set for early 2028.