Brooks Memorial Hospital has decided to build its new, state-of-the-art facility on Route 20 in Pomfret.

Earlier this week, the board of directors agreed to the 3710-3724 East Main Road site, which is located on the north side of the road and to the east of one of Chautauqua County’s busiest intersections at Routes 20 and 60. Officials made the announcement public on Friday afternoon.

“It’s a real important step for us,” said Chris Lanski, chair of the Brooks Hospital board of directors. “Not only have we selected a site, but really what we’re interested in doing is developing a stronger health care delivery system in our county.”

State funding of nearly $71 million from two grants — one of $57 million in 2015 and another announced this past summer — is expected to cover the entire project. The ground-breaking for the facility could come as early as this spring.

Mary E. LaRowe, Brooks Hospital president and chief executive officer, said the certificate of need for the proposed site, project and merging of operations with the TLC Health Network in Irving could be given the go-ahead by the state Health Department as early as mid-October. “I think everyone is very excited about the new build,” LaRowe said, noting renovations and upgrades of the current facility would likely cost at a larger cost than constructing a new site. “It’s not too often you get to build a hospital in New York state.”

The facility will look much different — and more modern — than the current structure at Central Avenue and Sixth Street. Besides the ability to achieve special hospital designations moving forward, enhancing the hospital’s reimbursement models, in-patient beds will be reduced from the current 65 to 29. Brooks and Kaleida Health officials also expect the new location to help in bringing in new doctors.

“We will have an opportunity to bring new services and we will also have an opportunity to improve recruitment efforts,” LaRowe said. “I can’t imagine too many physicians have the opportunity to work in a brand new hospital so that will help us as well.”

Currently, the hospital is purchasing the site from Country Side Sand & Gravel. Due to the sale not being completed, the hospital would not disclose the price being paid. The location, officials said, is in an area that can meet the required zoning and obtain appropriate construction approvals in an expeditious manner.

Proper infrastructure also played a major part in the selection as well. Brooks was looking for at least 25 acres, the appropriate utilities — power, gas, water and sewer — while addressing environmental concerns such as wetlands, and historical/archaeological considerations.

Included in the 100,000 square-foot project are 21 medical and surgical beds, four intensive care beds, four bed maternity, an imaging suite plus an 11-bay emergency department, four operating rooms and two procedure rooms.

The Brooks board, along with its hospital relocation specialists of Clark Patterson Lee Engineers, Stroudwater Associates and Turner Associates in Lakewood, reviewed more than two dozen potential sites over the past year, all in an effort to find the best location to build a new hospital.