La Porte Hospital will break ground officially on the new hospital in August this year, but the community will start to see tangible evidence of property preparations when demolition of some hospital-owned structures begins next week. The hospital has earmarked six homes it owns for demolition along State Street, between Teegarden and Tyler streets. The homes will be taken down to prepare land for staging and building of the new facility. The exact footprint of the new hospital has not been finalized, but officials expect to build and create space for construction staging in that general area west of the existing La Porte Hospital. No other structures have been scheduled for removal at this time. In a unique opportunity to assist the La Porte City Fire Department with training and skill development, the hospital will allow the fire department access to some of the homes for training before they are demolished.