SYRACUSE -- A groundbreaking ceremony was held Friday to kick off construction of a new facility at the Veterans Affairs (VA) Medical Center on the university hill.

A $72.6 million Spinal Cord Injury and Disease Senter will be a six-floor addition to the existing hospital building. It will house a 30 bed inpatient unit and comprehensive outpatient program.

The new center will also have a therapeutic pool, seven operating rooms, primary care services, and an expanded dialysis unit. A related phase of the project got underway last fall and will provide two additional levels to the existing parking garage, totaling 290+ spaces.

“Thank you for protecting our beloved country and our inalienable rights. Today's groundbreaking is one way to say thank you and welcome home to those of you who have suffered the most,” said former Congressman Jim Walsh at the ceremony Friday morning.

The total cost of the project will eventually exceed $90 million. VA officials say it will create at least 70 new jobs.