Mon Commission opens bids for health department project
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MORGANTOWN - The Monongalia County Commission received some welcome news Wednesday in the form of bids for the renovation project to turn White Birch Tower II into the new home of the Monongalia County Health Department.
In August, Silling Architects gave the commission a preliminary estimate of $10 million as the total cost to renovate the new space and relocate the health department. That number was based on a projected construction cost of $7.4 million.
The five bids opened Wednesday ranged from $7,150,000 from Lombardi Development Company to $8,701,291 from FMS Construction. Bids were also received from Stone Mile Group ($7,243,000); Caliber Contracting Services ($7,298,000); and Veritas Contracting ($7,297,785).
The commission voted to accept the bids and direct Silling to review the submittals and bring a recommendation back to the body.
"The commission is very pleased with the response to the bid solicitation for renovations to our new health department facility. We received five competitive bids, with four of the five coming within 2% of the lowest bid. Even more encouraging, the low bid was approximately 3.5% below the construction cost estimate prepared by Silling Architects," Commissioner Sean Sikora said. "The tight grouping of bids gives us confidence that the project was well-defined and that the pricing reflects a competitive marketplace. This is a significant investment in our community's public health infrastructure, and we are encouraged by these results as we move toward delivering a modern, functional facility while remaining responsible stewards of taxpayer dollars."
The commission has already invested $4.1 million in the health department's relocation to acquire the White Birch property, located at 1311 Pineview Drive.
MCHD's current home off Van Voorhis Road has long been targeted by West Virginia University Medicine as space for future expansion. But in order to make it happen, the county needed enough in return to get the health department operational in a new, centrally located facility.
In April, the commission posted notice that it was selling the approximately 2.25-acre property. It received a single offer of $6 million from West Virginia University Hospitals.
In late July, West Virginia University Health System President and CEO Albert Wright presented the commission with an additional $9 million "in support of public health initiatives."
The purchase agreement between the county and WVU Hospitals came with a July 1, 2027 deadline for MCHD to be off the property.
Based on a timeline shared in September by MCHD Executive Director Anthony DeFelice, it's going to be close. Renovations to approximately 35,000 square feet of the White Birch Tower II interior are expected to run from mid-November to June 1, leaving a month for the health department to get moved in and operational in its new space.
"The commission looks forward to completing the bid review process and moving this important project into the construction phase," Sikora said.
In other news from Wednesday's meeting, the commission approved a $600 request from Main Street Morgantown to record and televise the annual Christmas Parade to be held Dec. 2.
Lastly, it was announced that the commission's Nov. 11 meeting has been rescheduled for Nov. 10 in recognition of Veterans Day.