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By Jodi Schwan

Avera breaks ground Tuesday on its Avera on Louise campus, which from the looks of its new renderings will be an eye-catching medical office designed to feel welcoming to people who will go there for a wide range of services.

The first phase of construction at the southeast corner of 69th Street and Louise Avenue is part of $174 million worth of projects over the next few years.

Avera develops design themes for major projects, said Dave Flicek, Avera McKennan president and CEO.

For Avera on Louise, it was Psalm 121: “I lift my eyes to the hills – where does my help come from? My help comes from the Lord , the maker of heaven and earth.” The theme “All are welcome” is also part of the mission.

That translates to a design element of “horizon,” he explained.

“The buildings will still incorporate our stylized grasses but will also have some smooth horizontal lines that might remind one of the prairie horizon around here,” Flicek said. “Of course, the artwork and choice of colors will be part of that from a design theme. It should be a nice architectural addition to Sioux Falls.”

The first phase will include a 24-bed hospital and a connected medical office building that comprise 260,000 square. The health campus will focus on specialties that include orthopedics and sports medicine, gastroenterology, rheumatology and internal medicine.

Other features include a rooftop deck that will be open to patients and guests, and an open lobby with gathering spaces.

The hospital is scheduled to open in 2020. It will sit on 30 acres on the northwest side of the site in a campus-like setting that also will include additional clinic buildings.

In addition to orthopedics, the hospital will have the capacity for gastroenterology procedures and potentially other lower-risk surgeries and procedures. It will include an outpatient gastroenterology unit and be connected to a multistory commons space with dining options, a gift shop and a chapel. Other services will include physical therapy, laboratory, imaging and pharmacy.

The groundbreaking is scheduled for 4:30 p.m. Aug. 22.