Heavy earth-moving equipment rolled out on the thick green lawn in front of the Crowne Plaza last week. Soon a vast section of the lawn, which has become a popular place for show dog events, was being pushed into mounds of loam.

A worker told a reporter work was started on a medical facility to be built next to the hotel.

No plans have been filed with the city, yet Mayor Scott Avedisian and Rep. Joseph McNamara, on more than one occasion and at different times, have said there would be an announcement concerning a development soon. They have not said where the development would take place.

McNamara is the author of legislation dubbed “medical tourism” that allows corporations that can show that at least half of their patients are from out of state and are here for a specific procedure, to forego the customary certificate of need requirements from the Department of Health.

At a recent Warwick Rotary Club meeting, Avedisian said there would soon be an “exciting announcement,” meaning an additional 80 jobs and hundreds of room nights for local hotels.

But, while the Crowne appears a possible location for the first application of medical tourism legislation, that’s not the word from Kelly Coates, vice president of Carpionato Properties that owns and operates the Crowne and a number of shopping centers across the state.

In an interview Thursday, Coates said loam is being stripped from the site in order to create a lawn to the south of the hotel, in front of Bard-Davol offices parallel to Route 95. The lawn will become the new and larger venue for the dog events, while the current location will provide additional parking and could be used as a site for a building. He did not disclose what the building might be used for.

The area is zoned for an expansion of the hotel, in addition to some retail uses and two offices, with a total of 60,000 square feet. Carpionato was granted the zone change by the City Council in 1979. But, in order for a development to proceed, it would require municipal review and a building permit.

A soil erosion permit is required for earth moving. Warwick Hotel Associates filed for soil erosion and sediment control plan permits yesterday for 10.2 acres in front of the hotel and 12 acres in front of Bard. Although the permits had not been issued, earth-moving equipment continued to operate on both sites yesterday.

A spokeswoman for the Planning Department said no plans have been filed with the city and that any development would need to be consistent with approvals granted in 1979. Issues such as the amount of parking, proximity to state land and the size of the building, could be addressed by the Planning Board, or depending on the development, require City Council approval. However, until there are plans and a formal application, she couldn’t say what the city would require.

Coates said there is some immediacy to grading and preparing the lawn, which was once a sand and gravel pit, as Carpionato hopes to have grass grow on the site in time for next year’s lineup of dog events. Coates said the Crowne has been hosting breed-specific regional competitions for the past 20 years. The events last for several days and bring in people from across the country to show dogs.

“This is very important to Warwick. The American Kennel Association has certainly discovered the Crowne,” said Coates. He pointed out that not only does the Crowne benefit, but also area businesses, including the malls, restaurants and other hotels.

“It’s been a 20-year run with the dogs. It’s a great Warwick asset,” he said.