2:45 p.m.

Hoag Memorial Hospital Presbyterian held a groundbreaking event Wednesday to kick off extensive renovations at its newly acquired Irvine facility. Hoag Hospital Irvine is slated to open in 2010, and was formerly known as Irvine Regional Hospital and Medical Center.

Hoag assumed a long-term lease for the hospital facility earlier this year.

In addition to updating the hospital’s technology, infrastructure and design to meet the company’s standards, the renovations also incorporate green building elements and construction practices, Hoag officials said.

Along with cost and durability, Hoag will consider factors like energy use, air quality and recycling when deciding which materials to use, as well as how to conduct demolitions and construction of the facility.

Renovations are expected to cost about $84 million and include the addition of state-of-the-art operating rooms, nursing floors and imaging equipment; reconstructing pre- and post-surgery and recovery areas; and preparing space for new technology.

The 244,000-square-foot Hoag Hospital Irvine will open as an acute care general hospital offering both inpatient and outpatient services, as well as a fully staffed emergency room.

The interior design concept is based on the 22-mile Mountains to Sea Trail, which spans the distance from Weir Canyon to Upper Newport Bay. Design elements will include a color palette of sage and taupe; photographs from the trail will be incorporated throughout the hospital.

In addition to Hoag’s hospital in Newport Beach, the company operates seven Hoag Health Centers throughout Orange County.

For more information, call (949) 764-5921 or visit HoagHospitalIrvine.org.