Cookeville Eye Centers Moving To A Larger Location

Cookeville’s Eye Center of Tennessee will be able to house more patients soon.

CEO Ray Mays said it’s been a two year process deciding how and where to expand.

“We are completely out of space. Waiting room seats, parking spaces, you name it, we’re out of space. Cookeville is exploding with the population and we’re getting a lot of that,” Mays said.

Renovations at the Willow Avenue location should complete next month. Construction for a new facility is scheduled to finish this September.

Eye Centers has had their Willow location since 2003, and there is no room to expand due to traffic.

The new location will be off of Neal Street, across the street from the future police station. Mays said the new location will have new technology for better eye care.

“The newest lasers and things measure the shape of your eyeball almost without you even being aware of it. It helps us narrow it down so by the time the doctor says ‘which is better one or two?’ now it’s just up to each individual to decide ‘I like that one better than the other one.'” It makes the glasses that you get or contact lenses or surgery that much better,” Mays said.

Mays said they’re adding a new ophthalmologist this August and have hired about 15 individuals over the past 6 months.

The project is budgeted at $3.5 million, Mays added.