JORDAN?HESTER Dr. Thomas Quigley, left, and Mayor Joe Coviello prior to the ground-breaking Tuesday.

One of the area’s largest eye care practices is expanding its presence in Cape Coral.

Quigley Eye Specialists, which has locations in Fort Myers, Naples, Port Charlotte, Lehigh Acres and Punta Gorda, as well as the Cape, held a ceremonial groundbreaking Tuesday for a 9,249-square-foot facility on Del Prado Boulevard.

The new, much larger, $2.5 million facility will replace its rented offices at 1138 Country Club Blvd., allowing for the addition of two more doctors and their teams, pushing the positions in house from around two dozen to nearly triple that number, as well as providing more modernized design for space and comfort.

Dr. Mark Liebetreu, O.D., will continue to head the Cape Coral office at its new location at 112 Del Prado.

“This is the kind of state-of-the art facility that any medical professional would be proud of,” said Dr. Thomas Quigley, M.D., during the groundbreaking.

JORDAN?HESTER Officials and staff from Quigley Eye Specialists, city officials and project designers and engineers stand ready to officially break ground on the new facility on Del Prado Boulevard.

“We’re just happy it’s going in to Cape Coral and we’re ecstatic to be able to continue to give this area the best care possible, which will always be our commitment to you.”

Quigley Eye Specialists provides high tech treatments for cataracts, glaucoma, diabetic retinopathy and dry eye with additional service to be available once the new facility opens in full, expected to be by February of 2020, with the current office closing just before.

Cape Coral city officials in attendance at Tuesday’s event hailed project.

“I’m, firstly and most thankful, for Dr. Quigley and his practice to continue to choose Cape Coral for the home of this facility, and secondly, I’d like to thank them for continuing to give Cape Coral the best service anyone could hope for,” said Mayor Joe Coviello.

JORDAN?HESTER The specially decorated hard hats for the ceremony.