Pacific Radiology revealed the building as the location of its new "flagship branch" — expected to open in 2025 — in a statement yesterday.
The new private radiology clinic would house the city’s first positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT) scanner, it said.
At present, southern patients who need a PET scan have to travel to Christchurch for the procedure.
Consent was granted last month for the new building in Great King St on the Wilson car park site, beside the Farmers building and fronting on to the bus hub.
The radiology clinic will occupy 2150sqm at the new site.
Pacific Radiology said the location was close to public transport, had plenty of parking space and was just two blocks from Dunedin Hospital, making the site convenient for both patients and medical professionals.
RHCNZ Medical Imaging Group chief operations officer Jeremy Sharr said the new branch would replace present central Dunedin sites and deliver breast-imaging services, MRI, CT scans, ultrasounds and X-rays.
Earthworks were expected to start at the site in June and the new facility would be "fully operational in early 2025", the statement said.
The consent decision provided by the Dunedin City Council showed the first two floors of the building included 67 car parks in total.
One of the spaces on the ground floor would provide an ambulance drop-off , close to a bed lift.
At the street level there would be pedestrian entrances at either side of the Great King St frontage and a food and coffee kiosk at the northern end.
University of Otago oncology professor Christopher Jackson said "a large number of people" were being referred to Pacific Radiology’s Christchurch clinic at present.
The local demand was likely around 500 PET scans a year at present, "but that is going to grow".
Prof Jackson, who is also an oncologist at Dunedin Hospital, said PET scans improved the accuracy of a diagnosis and the accuracy of staging in a number of conditions — "so it’s very helpful".
