This rendering shows the design for the Lawrence Humane Society’s new $7.5 million animal shelter, which is expected to be completed by summer 2019.

Construction is set to begin on the Lawrence Humane Society’s new $7.5 million animal shelter.

The shelter is holding a groundbreaking ceremony Thursday afternoon, and Humane Society Executive Director Kate Meghji said construction will begin within the next couple of weeks. Meghji said the organization is excited to take such a big step in the project.

“Obviously this has been the culmination of several years of planning, fundraising, and making lots of decisions and analyzing the needs of our community,” Meghji said. “And we couldn’t be more happy that the groundbreaking is happening.”

The new shelter will be 22,000 square feet, about 25 percent bigger than the Humane Society’s current building, and will have an improved medical clinic and isolation rooms for sick animals. The new shelter will be built on the Humane Society’s current site, 1805 E. 19th St., and the current building will be demolished once the new building is complete.

The Humane Society has been raising money toward the project since 2016, with the goal of raising $5 million in private donations. Meghji said the shelter has raised about 95 percent of that goal, with about $300,000 left to go. She said hundreds of individuals have contributed toward the ongoing fundraising campaign, and that the shelter is grateful to all the partners and donors.

“A huge number of people have contributed to this campaign, some of them at high dollar values and some at $5 per month,” Meghji said. “It’s definitely been a community effort to get us this far.”

The City of Lawrence will also provide the project a $2.5 million grant, and last week the City Commission approved industrial revenue bonds to allow the project to receive a sales tax exemption for construction materials. Originally, the city also planned to provide a $2.5 million loan, but Meghji said the shelter ended up needing a lesser amount and decided to seek a private construction loan instead.

The groundbreaking ceremony, which is invitation only, will take place Thursday afternoon on the Humane Society’s site. Meghji said construction is estimated to take about a year, and she expects the organization will be able to move into the new building by next summer.