Improvements are being made to make the new medical building in Port Elgin more appealing.
Saugeen Shores Council agreed Monday night to a staff recommendation to authorize JP Commercial Contractors to install up-graded exterior siding and canopies at the building.
Town CAO Ron Brown the purpose is to make the building more attractive for doctors and their patients.
Brown says the building is located in downtown area and is a tool for recruiting doctors.
He says he wants to show doctors a building with more than a steel-sided clad.
Brown says 30% of the interior will not be finished once the building is opened.
He says they have only four doctors offices completed but that is sufficient since there will be only three doctors practicing out of the building.
He says there is enough room for three or four more offices and hopes to have that part of the building finished soon.
Brown says the cost of the exterior upgrades will be $112,000 bringing the cost of the building to $1.5 million.
He says they are some concerns about rising costs but that is usually the normal occurrence.
He says construction costs tend to go up by 7% each year if the building is not completed in the year that it is budgeted.
Brown says they have collected $128,000 through donations and expects fundraising efforts will continue.
Brown hopes to get the building done by the end of June with a grand opening ceremony around August, the same time when the exterior improvements are expected to be completed.
