The North Carolina Division of Health Service has given Rex Healthcare the go-ahead to build a new three-story outpatient care center.

The center will be located across from Rex Hospital on Macon Pond Road and will have almost 130,000 square feet of space for outpatient services.

In addition, the Macon Pond facility will include an 85,000 square foot medical office building.

"With continued growth in Wake County and increasing demand for quality healthcare services, we believe this outpatient center will allow us to meet the needs of our patients now and in the future," said Rex Healthcare President David Strong in a press release.

As part of the new center, Rex Hospital will:

• Relocate eight existing operating rooms
• Relocate four existing major procedure rooms and add two more minor procedure rooms
• Move most diagnostic imaging facilities and relocate one MRI scanner
• Add 16 observation beds
• Move rehabilitation services, including physical, occupational and speech therapy
• Operate an urgent care center

The facility is expected to be complete in July 2011.