After purchasing the other half of the block on 72 Lowry St from Rochester Christian Fellowship, renovations have begun to make the building ready for use.
The business is working with Cyclo Group, a construction company specialising in vet practices, medical facilities, childcare centres and other commercial industries.
The footprint of the site will be much greater, with double the number of rooms and space.
“We’ve got two consult rooms at the moment; we’re going to have four, plus a dedicated grieving room,” veterinarian Merryn Lourensz said.
“We’ll have two sterile surgeries and two treatment tables.”
The site suffered significant flood damage in the 2022 floods, with about 20cm of water inundating the building.
“There was a lot of mould in the plaster so that had all been stripped off and cleaned; they had to take out all of the carpet,” Dr Lourensz said.
After the floods, Rochester Veterinary Practice approached Rochester Christian Fellowship about buying the site.
This timing allowed the practice to start afresh, while Rochester Christian Fellowship could rebuild next door without needing to renovate.
“It sort of worked well for them because they’d had to just strip it and start again if they wanted to,” Dr Lourensz said.
“We just approached them and said ‘Do you think we could have this?’, and they’re going to build next door at the spare block.”
Planning has been crucial in the renovation process, with materials and building design chosen to withstand potential flooding.
“They’ve found a board that’s ... very resilient to water,” site manager Fred Van Rensberg said.
“So if it does flood again, then hopefully it’s a lot easier — would just be a clean out.”
“All the cabinetry will be 30cm off the ground,” Dr Lourensz said.
The goal is to future-proof the extension.
“It was stinky and horrible, so we thought if we just start up high and use the flood plan, hopefully it will be okay,” Dr Lourensz said.
“We thought about a few things, like raising the floor, but we decided this is the most cost-effective and hopefully effective way of doing things.”
The books for new clients at the practice have been closed for some time, and Dr Lourensz believes the expansion will allow staff to contact those on the waiting list.
The practice is currently struggling to meet the high demand for services.
“We’ve got a list, and we’ll probably do a soft opening and just ring the people on the list, and say, ‘If you’re still interested, we can take you on’,” Dr Lourensz said.
“At the moment, what we’re working with, is not really coping with even the amount we have now, so this will help us cope with it.
“We’re walking all over each other ... it’ll be a lot better!”
Renovations will take about 20 weeks, and began around three weeks ago.
5°C