The preferred option selected by the board was Aviemore's Technology Park.
The Cabinet Secretary for Health and Wellbeing will now make a final decision on the proposals. If approved, planning can begin in full with a formal business case also drawn up.
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A lot of work still remains regarding the proposed facility, for example agreement of its specification and design, as well as purchasing a site.
With this in mind, it is anticipated that construction work would commence in summer 2017, with a potential completion date of December 2018.
The new hospital and resource centre would serve communities in Badenoch and Strathspey. It would be built on land at Aviemore Technology Park, while two smaller sites in Kingussie and Grantown on Spey would close.
Ten possible locations had been considered by the health board, before being narrowed down to a shortlist of four.
(JP/MH)
