The Franklin Township supervisors have given St. Luke’s the green light to move forward with construction on a proposed $70-plus million hospital in the township.

The supervisors on Tuesday approved a developer’s agreement which allows St. Luke’s to begin construction while the health network is still finalizing some agreements with outside agencies.

St. Luke’s officials told the supervisors they hope to break ground in early October.

St. Luke’s is still working with the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation, PPL and the Lehighton Water Authority for utilities and the project’s driveway along Route 209.

The agreement says that the township will let St. Luke’s begin construction, but St. Luke’s can’t open the hospital until those agreements are in place. The supervisors already approved plans for the project in January.

“It’s like a marathon, and this is the final lap before we start construction,” St. Luke’s Senior Vice President Bob Martin said.

Technically the agreement isn’t official until the township’s lawyer and engineer approve it.

Martin said St. Luke’s negotiated the agreement so they could begin construction while working out the complicated contracts with the three agencies. He said the health network is confident those deals will be completed, and they do not want to delay construction in the meantime.

The agreement also includes a $100,000 donation for the township to use for road projects.

One of the items needed before the project is completed is approval for a permit from Lehighton Water Authority for a three-quarter mile extension to its water line along Fairyland Road. Martin said that will be built by the authority while construction on the hospital is underway.

He said the township is in the process of approving it, but is in the process of contacting neighbors who will be allowed to hook up to the water supply if they want to.

Another is a highway occupancy permit from PennDOT. The final condition is an agreement with PPL regarding power lines on the property.

St. Luke’s must provide the township with a letter of credit worth millions of dollars. In the event that the hospital abandons the project, the township could use that money to finish building the drainage basins for the project’s stormwater management.

The proposed 130,000-square-foot hospital will include 40 beds when it opens and eventually expand to 80. It includes a 535-space parking lot. More than 200 employees are expected to work at the facility, including new positions and existing positions from other St. Luke’s facilities in the area.

Last year, the supervisors changed the township’s zoning to allow health care facilities on properties of at least 30 acres.

St. Luke’s hopes to open the facility in 2021.