Carolina Eye Associates is in the initial stages of an expansion project that will increase on-site parking and expand he clinic and ambulatory care center.

Currently, much of the construction focus is on the rear of the property.

"We are in the initial stages of constructing a parking lot," said Larry Newsome, CEO of Carolina Eye Associates. "They are clearing the land, doing grading work, and building a retention pond."

Work began Sept. 26 and is expected to take about two years to complete.

The parking lot work, which will add 01 spaces, is expected to take two to three months. It must be completed first so the building expansion work can be down without adversely affecting parking, Newsome said.

The project also will add more than 12,6000 square feet of space to the existing building at 2170 Midland Road.

The addition to the northeast side of the building will be 8,017 square feet on two floors. The space will include medical offices. The addition to the southwest side of the existing building will be 4,375 square feet and will increase the ambulatory surgery center's recovery and waiting areas.

Both additions will have similar architectural styles of the existing structure and incorporate the same facade on the existing building. The additions will bring the total size of the facility to 53,662 square feet.

Walkways will be provided throughout the developed portion of the site to improve access from parking areas to the building entrances. Additionally, a new sidewalk will be placed along Midland Road for the entire frontage of the property. The vehicle drive to the west will allow for access to the undeveloped tract.

The Pinehurst Village Council approved a major site plan for the expansion July 24.

In a separate but connected project, crews are currently working to extend the water line down Midland Road to Carolina Eye. A new 16-inch line runs from Page Road and N.C. 211 to the Traffic Circle, and then a 12-inch line will run from there to the business.

"We expect by December everything will be done and the line operational by the first of the year," said Randy Gould, Moore County public works director.

Gould said the biggest parts of the project that remain are the tie-ins and connections with existing lines.

Carolina Eye has considered an expansion for about five years, but it has been on hold until the facility could address water needs. Newsome said in a prior story that the building needed greater water volume for fire protection. Along those lines, part of the expansion will be an improved sprinkler system.

The county approved the new water line in 2011.

Opened in 1982 in a 26,000-square-foot building, the facility underwent a major expansion of 11,000 square feet in 1992.

Since then, it has undergone some minor additions to bring the current size of the facility to 40,000 square feet on more than 11 acres.

Contact Tom Embrey at (910) 693-2484 or tembrey @thepilot.com.