Construction of the new Eastern State Hospital on UK’s Coldstream Research Campus is scheduled to begin in July 2010, Kentucky Gov. Steve Beshear announced Thursday.

The $129 million, 230-bed facility will replace the 185-year-old psychiatric hospital on Fourth Street and Newtown Pike and is expected to be nearly complete by 2012, according to a news release from the governor’s office.

Moving Eastern State Hospital to the Coldstream Research Campus is part of a land swap among UK, Bluegrass Community and Technical College and the hospital.

BCTC will move from its location on Cooper Drive to the current Eastern State Hospital site. UK will then acquire the BCTC buildings.

— Blair Thomas