FERGUSON • Centene says it will build its new Ferguson processing center at the former site of a car dealership at 2900 Pershall Road near Interstate 270.

The managed-care company will announce Sunday plans to spend $15 million on the new facility, which will employ up to 200 workers. The company said it has begun hiring for the new jobs and will begin training workers next month.

Centene, which is based in Clayton, said it plans to break ground next year for the new Ferguson building, which is now being designed. Until completion, Centene will process claims from a temporary site near the Pershall Road address.

The new building will cover 51,000 square feet, located on a site of more than eight acres. It will include an education center, a full-service cafeteria and a 6,500-square-foot day care center.

The site, the former Ackerman dealership, has passed all environmental testing, the company said.

Centene announced its selection of Ferguson in early September, in the midst of protests, disturbances and confrontations with police which brought the international spotlight to Ferguson. The company spent the following weeks looking for a building site.