An excavator plunged into the Hilltop Medical building Tuesday morning, marking the end of an era for the aging health facility.

PrimeTime Living is replacing the 37-year-old structure with a state-of-the-art retirement residence.

Chief operating officer John Hitchcock says the new 180-unit, eight-storey 鈥楻esidences of Abby Lane鈥� facility will include a movie theatre, spa, full commercial kitchen, fitness centre, library, card-playing room, rooftop lounge, putting green and a pool.

The third floor of the 250,000 sq.-ft. building will be attached to the recently opened Abby Lane Health Centre, located at 15273 16 Ave.

Although the official grand opening for the Abby Lane Health Centre isn鈥檛 until June 27, several businesses have started operating out of the building, including Rexall Pharmacy, LifeLabs, Puretone Hearing Clinic, Hilltop Medical Clinic, PrimeTime Living, Envision Denture and Implant Centre and Kay Kennedy Physiotherapy Clinic. Everbean caf茅 is expected to open mid-June.

Hitchcock said there are still 鈥渁 little bit鈥� of vacancies left in the medical centre.

Construction of the residential building is expected to take 15 months to complete, and the cumulative cost of the medical centre and residence is 鈥渁round鈥� $90 million.

Last year, PrimeTime executive vice-president told Peace Arch News the building will be the 鈥渓argest, privately owned medical centre in B.C.鈥�