PETERSBURG - Gov. Timothy Kaine joined local officials this morning at a ribbon-cutting ceremony for the new Southside Regional Medical Center.

Kaine said the new facility, built on roughly 50 acres backing up to Interstate 95 southeast of Petersburg, will improve health care and offer opportunity for the area to grow.

"Healthcare is economic development," Kaine said. "This will be a payroll of approximately 1400 people, a payroll of about $70 million."

City officials said the new building has drawn a lot of interest from investors. More medical offices are being planned in the area as well as office, commercial and housing developments.

The new hospital building has 300 beds, an expanded emergency department with 32 beds, three nursing stations, two trauma rooms and two cardiac-care rooms.

The hospital will officially open Sunday, when about 200 patients from the old building will be moved to the new facility.

-- Luz Lazo