The Bowen Center, located on Jefferson Street, Warsaw, celebrated a groundbreaking ceremony Wednesday in honor of the location’s expansion.

The Bowen Center, which has been open in Warsaw since the 1960s, has experienced significant growth in a time where many health facilities have declined. According to CEO Kurt Carlson it was due to this growth that the Bowen Center purchased land near their second location on Eastlake Drive.

Carlson said the Bowen Center intends to first build onto the Eastlake location toward the west and then renovate the pre-existing structure. This newly remodeled building will then serve as a base for administrative operations and training. According to Carlson, Bowen Center has grown to 700 total employees, 500 of which are full time.

The center, which shared a parking lot with Kosciusko Community Hospital at its first location, found that as it expanded its staff and operations, additional space and parking became necessary. The new center will add space for meetings and parking spots for center visitors and staff

Though the center has begun moving dirt, it is still in the process of acquiring the last of the necessary permits to begin construction. Once these permits are obtained, Bowen Center will begin construction with WJ Carey. The project is estimated to take a total of 14 months and will cost approximately $3 million to complete.

“Its a pleasure to be in Warsaw,” said Carlson. “We consider it a privilege to serve the area. In a time when a lot of other health services are shrinking and we continue to grow.”