Local government and hospital officials got a Thursday tour of West Georgia Health System’s four-story South Tower, which is on schedule for an April opening.

Bond financing of the $70 million project was backed by a pledge of county property taxes, allowing the health system to save a huge sum on interest rates.

“We went around the periphery of each floor and saw what we could,” hospital spokeswoman Allison Davis said. “The purpose was to give city and county officials who helped us get this far an update on where we are in the process.”

The South Tower will have an emergency department and ambulance bay on the ground floor, a lobby and cardiac unit on the first floor, a 24-room intensive-care unit on the second floor, a labor/delivery unit on the third floor, and mechanical and electrical operations on the fourth floor. The building was designed for a future expansion that would give it up to 192 patient rooms.

“I’m impressed by the progress they’re making and with the quality of construction,” said Troup County finance officer Stewart Mills, who was on the 45-minute tour.

Joining Mills were County Commission Chairman Ricky Wolfe; LaGrange Mayor Jeff Lukken; City Councilman Nick Woodson; commissioners Richard English, Buck Davis, Morris Jones and Ken Smith; County Manager Mike Dobbs; Assistant County Manager Todd Tentler; and hospital board members Kenneth McCamey, Nasor Mansour III and John McKibben.

“They said they were overwhelmed at the size of the building,” Allison Davis said. “Looking at it from the ground, you don’t really get a sense of it and how much better it will enable us to serve our patients.”

Joel Martin can be reached at jmartin@lagrangenews.com or (706) 884-7311, Ext. 235.