Officials broke ground on an $8 million health center in Granite City on Tuesday.

The Southern Illinois Healthcare Foundation plans to construct the 31,800-square-foot Koch Health Center Building on the site of the former McKinley School at 2103 Iowa St.

The nonprofit leases space in the nearby Gateway Regional Medical Center. It provides health care to about 10,500 low-income people in the Granite City area.

Foundation spokeswoman Kelly Hendrickson said the project will allow them to consolidate operations under one roof.

"We're in four different areas on three floors," Hendrickson said.

Gateway Regional officials have not announced what will move into the former Foundation space. The hospital is in the middle of a $6 million renovation.

"We are strapped for extra space right now, so we are excited to have all that space open up," said hospital spokeswoman Kate Allaria in an email.

Construction is expected to take about two years.

— Scott Cousins