Gold Beach, Oregon (January 16, 2014)
Contractors, architects vie to build new hospital
This week the Curry Health District Board of Directors and senior leadership team met with eight groups vying to build the new Curry General Hospital in Gold Beach. More than 65% of District residents in November voted to pass the ballot measure to replace the hospital, and since then there has been a whirlwind of activity.
Having traveled from California, Colorado, Washington, or within the state of Oregon, the firms began the day with a tour of the 63-year old hospital, led by Curry Health Network's CEO, Andrew Bair.
The groups, either Design/Build firms, or Architect and Contractor teams, or Architects, were allotted thirty minutes to give a presentation to the Board which was followed by a brief question and answer period. One question most often asked of the firms was their history of working with local subcontractors and local labor. The firms also answered questions about their experience with Critical Access Hospitals, coastal weather conditions, protection against obsolete working environments, cost containment, and keeping the current hospital functional during the construction phase.
Design/Build firms presenting included Neenan Archistructure, Belay, and Erdman. Architect and Contractor teams included Cushing Terrell Architect & Engineers with Andersen Construction, PKA Architects with Perlo Construction, TVA Architects with Adroit Construction, and Ankrom-Moisan Architecture with Skanska Construction. Aspen Street Architecture, a firm specializing in modular hospital design, rounded out the lineup.
"This was a pre-interview," said Bair, "and only the first step of the process to select a qualified firm who can meet our community's need for continuing and expanded healthcare services with a new facility that will accommodate today's modern technology - and last for decades." Bair continued, "All of these firms have a proven track history, and that includes speed to market which is vitally important."
The teams will be submitting by January 29 their formal responses to the RFQ (Request for Qualifications) which will include much more information than they were able to present in their brief thirty minutes. The Board of Directors will then meet on February 3 to carefully review the RFQs and select finalists to be invited back for a more in-depth interview.
Board Member Deb Wilson said, "It was really a diverse group, and each had their own unique presentation style that gave us insight into their project management philosophy and methodology, experience and background. They were all very qualified to do the project, so the Board will have an incredibly tough decision to select the finalists, and then ultimately the team who will build our new hospital."
Board member DeAnna Craig agreed. "All of them were very interesting, but some distinguished themselves with the ideas they presented. It will be very hard to choose."
The Health District expects that a final decision will be made by mid-February.