Signage has gone up for the new St. Luke's West End Medical Center in South Whitehall, signaling that the center is getting closer to opening.

St. Luke's spokeswoman Denise Radar said Monday the first phase is expected to open in February 2013. Because the space is so large, St. Luke's will be rolling out the primary and specialty services in stages as renovations are completed.

Patch first told you about the one-stop health center last November. In a memo distributed to South Whitehall commissioners, St. Luke's said the center would be used for various health care services, including doctor offices, outpatient diagnostic and treatment services, diagnostic laboratory, dialysis, urgent care and durable medical equipment. 

The 107,000-square-foot building once housed the former Pennsylvania Expo Center and the former Builders Square home improvement center.

The parking lot on the property was the site of South Whitehall's Emergency Preparedness Day, held in September in conjunction with North Whitehall and Upper Macungie townships.