he windows that were once broken and covered with boards. Young trees have been replanted and are standing upright again.
Water aerobics class in a swimming pool at Mercy Edmond I-35, a wellness center and medical complex. PHOTO BY DAVID MCDANIEL, THE OKLAHOMAN. David McDaniel - The Oklahoman
Three poles at the entrance, once bent like paper straws, are standing straight with American and Oklahoma flags blowing in the wind.
Mercy Edmond I-35, a $90 million wellness center and medical center, will be 90 percent open on Monday, just over a year since a May 19, 2013, tornado struck the near-completed building south of 15th Street on the west side of Interstate 35.
A portion of the complex opened for business this week.
An outpatient surgical center will open in July.
The 219,000-square-foot building was just 30 days from opening when the tornado hit on a Sunday afternoon, causing $30 million in damage and delaying the opening almost a year.
A smiling Nick Niver, vice president of Mercy Edmond I-35 primary care, didn’t want to talk about the tornado while showing off the new complex on Thursday.
“We are past the tornado,” Niver said. “It has been a journey.”
Construction on the three-story building started July 5, 2011.
Not a hospital
The medical complex is not a hospital.
It is the first of its kind for Mercy, David Tew, Mercy Health System of Oklahoma chief operating officer, said repeatedly during the construction.
“There are no inpatient beds,” Niver said. “This is not a hospital. We are gearing up for the future to try to keep them healthy.”
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Mercy Edmond I-35 opens year after tornado | News OK
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