The new Samaritan Hospital in Moses Lake, Washington, has begun construction.
“We will begin mobilisation on Monday.” “You’ll see all kinds of earthworking equipment show up in the first week,” said Matt Pulick of Graham Construction, the project’s general contractors. “They’ll be moving dirt around to prepare for the site fencing, which will go up the following week.”
Following the installation of the fence, employees will set up construction offices, temporary electricity and an internet connection. Furthermore, a water source to keep the dust at bay.
As part of the site preparation, a “progress camera” will be installed, which will snap photographs of the site every 10 minutes throughout construction, according to Pulick.
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How the Samaritan Hospital in Washington was funded
Residents of the hospital district passed a $130 million building bond in April, and one of Thursday’s resolutions authorised the issuing of about $73.18 million in bonds to be paid back using tax revenue from the voter-approved bond.
The district’s existing levy and operations will be used to repay a different set of building bonds. Commissioners will meet again in a special session to authorise the bond sales. The USDA loan payments will be made at the end of the project.
In 2018, commissioners approved the building of a new 50-bed hospital, with a preliminary design due in 2019. The structure will be three floors tall, with each floor being somewhat smaller than the one below.
Construction was set to commence in 2020, with construction paperwork being produced and a groundbreaking ceremony planned for June 2020. Construction was delayed because to the COVID-19 epidemic, and costs soared in the interim. The commissioners had the option of starting construction in 2022, but they chose not to because available finance fell well short of the updated construction estimates. In July, they agreed to a revised construction estimate.
