The recent reconstructive surgery to city-limits lines in Laurel near the Sportsplex was done to accommodate Southern Bone & Joint Specialists.
The Hattiesburg-based orthopedic and sports medicine clinic will construct a new facility there after annexation proceedings have been completed, which is expected to be at the beginning of 2023. The business is covering the cost of the voluntary annexation, which will allow the clinic to receive full city services, including police and fire protection, water/sewer utilities and code enforcement.
“Laurel has experienced a grassroots movement to renew its city, and we want to provide specialized orthopedic care for the area,” said David Burckel, CEO of SBJS. “We will add to the economy of a place that takes care of its own.”
The clinic will be 20,000 to 30,000 square feet and is expected to cost in the range of $7 million to $12 million for construction and infrastructure. The “state-of-the-art facility” will have x-ray and exam rooms and a physical/occupational therapy area, Burckel said.
“The facility will be designed for expansion to accommodate additional future services,” he added.
In addition to the four to six doctors who will be in the rotation seeing patients, SBJS is expected to employ approximately 20 people, including rehabilitation specialists. The surgery center will still be located in Hattiesburg.
SBJS has five satellite offices in South Mississippi, and its 16 physicians offer a range of services, including orthopedic surgery, joint replacement surgery, hand and microvascular surgery, foot and ankle reconstruction, arthroscopy and sports medicine, trauma management and spine disorders.
“Southern Bone & Joint is looking forward to having its clinic annexed into the City of Laurel so it can continue to grow its presence in the region and foster its relationship with the city,” Burckel said. “Annexation into the City of Laurel and provision of these needed municipal services will facilitate Southern Bone & Joint Specialists’ construction of its new Laurel location and provision of excellent orthopedic and sports medicine services to the Laurel community and surrounding region.”
In July, the Laurel City Council voted unanimously in favor of allowing the voluntary annexation of the property off Highway 84 West to accommodate a new business, but Mayor Johnny Magee said he could not reveal the identity of the business at the time. He did say it was something that would make “most people” happy.
The first reading of the annexation order is expected to be at the Tuesday meeting of the city council followed by the second reading at the Oct. 18 meeting. If approved, the city will petition the Jones County Chancery Court in early November to OK the annexation, and the matter will likely be heard there in late January or early February. The procedure is being handled by Jackson attorney Chad Mask, who oversaw the city’s recent annexation of Pendorff.
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