St. Louis, MO  (KTRS)  The medical community is celebrating a new hospital that is being built in St. Louis.

A groundbreaking ceremony was held on Thursday for the new SSM Health St. Louis University Hospital and Ambulatory Care Center. The $550 million project is being constructed along Grand in Midtown St. Louis near current SLU Hospital. It will include a trauma center, an emergency department, and over 300 patient rooms.

Dr. Fred Pestello, president of St. Louis University, said this new hospital will offer tremendous benefits to the community, “We must care for the most vulnerable and disadvantaged. This means practicing where people need compassion and care in a space where it’s accessible. Compassion is the hallmark of SSM and SLU care medicine.”

Construction is expected to be completed on September 1, 2020.