Staff Writer

LSenn@CalhounTimes.com

In the midst of the current economic slump cosmetic surgeon, Dr. Carey Nease has seen a growth in business, so much in fact that he is expanding his practice to accommodate his growing clientele.

Nease, who runs the Magnolia Cosmetic Surgery Center located on Walnut Street in Calhoun, is planning to build a new four-story building in down town Chattanooga’s Southside.

The 27,000-square-foot structure is expected to cost an estimated $5 million and will house a new cosmetic surgery center to be called the Southern Surgical Arts Cosmetic Surgery Center. The cen-ter will take up about one-third of the building. Nease expects to possibly rent the commercial space to restaurants or a bank. He also plans to build high-end condos with roof top access.

Nease says that about 30 percent of his businesses comes from Chattanooga.

“My business stretches from Cartersville to Chattanooga. People were coming from Chattanooga to my satellite office in Dalton for appointments, so this is a good time to open a new location,” said Nease.

The Calhoun location, which employs a staff of eight, will remain open, and Nease says he plans to bring another surgeon into the practice.

“The new facility will focus on cosmetic surgery, and will have two operating rooms,” Nease said.

The new site will be located 1908 Cowart Street and will front Broad Street. The Southern Surgi-cal Arts Center will employ a team of 15 staff members.

Nease estimates that construction and development will take about 18 months, and should open at the end of 2010. Nease says that much like his current facility the new one will be a state of the art practice in a serene setting.

"The space we create is going to be really beautiful," he said.