(KNZA)--After 10 years of planning and fundraising, construction has begun for the new Sabetha Health and Wellness Center.

The facility is being constructed on the grounds of the Sabetha Community Hospital at 14th and Oregon Streets.

A groundbreaking ceremony was held August 22.

AHRS Construction, of Bern, has been contracted to build the more than $2 million facility.  

Construction is expected to take 10 to 12 months, with an anticipated opening date in the spring or summer of 2019

The facility will offer brand new cardio and weight equipment.  It will include therapy pools for rehabilitation, water aerobics and lap swimming.  The facility will also feature two rooms for group exercise classes, along with a gymnasium that houses a three-lane walking track around it.

The Center will be operated, managed and maintained by the Sabetha Community Hospital.

A new director has been hired to begin planning for the facility programs.  Greta Heiman, of Sabetha, began work August 1.