Construction started this month on a $14 million project at Providence St. Joseph Care Center that involves remodeling the entire first and second floors.

Seattle-based MG2 Corp. designed the project, and Graham Construction & Management Inc., of Spokane, is the general contractor.

The project is scheduled to be finished at the beginning of 2018, says Providence spokeswoman Liz DeRuyter.

Renovations are part of a continuation of work dating to when St. Joseph underwent a major facility expansion in 2009, DeRuyter says. That year, the hospital added the Providence Transitional Care Unit designed specifically for patients requiring short-term rehabilitation.

St. Joseph, at 17 E. Eighth, is a 162-bed licensed skilled-nursing facility located on the campus of Providence Sacred Heart Medical Center & Children’s Hospital. 

The facility is more than 80 years old.

“Providence is moving ahead with a planned remodel of the older portion of the structure,” says DeRuyter referring to the first and second floors.

St. Joseph’s officials say the renovation of 52,000 square feet of space there will improve their ability to care for patients needing short-term rehabilitation after treatment.

The facility also provides long-term care services and specializes in rehabilitative care for orthopedic, cardiac, and neurological patients as they begin the process of transitioning from hospital to home.

St. Joseph will continue to admit transitional-care unit patients and maintain continued care for current residents throughout the construction process. 

However, hospital officials say there will be a reduction in long-term care beds during the project to allow for renovation of existing space.