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1949 section of NIH coming down |
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Saturday, 13 December 2008 |
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By Mike Bodine
Register Staff
12-11-2008 Today will mark the end of an era, as demolition of Northern Inyo Hospital is finally scheduled to begin.
The removal of the 1949 section of the hospital, scheduled to begin around 6:30 a.m., will give way to construction of a new, main hospital building.
The new building will have two stories, with a surgical unit and emergency room on the first floor and 25 hospital rooms on the second.
These 25 rooms will include medical/surgical, pediatric, birthing and Intensive Care Unit (ICU) facilities while the second story rooms will give patients reasonably unobstructed views of the Sierra.
This is about the half-way point for a project initiated in 2004. Georgan Stottlemyre, NIH marketing and grant writing director, said Tuesday that contractors from Turner Construction informed NIH at the last board meeting that “as soon as there’s a hole in the ground,” the construction should be completed in two years, or 2011.
In an attempt to ensure that the construction is kept on schedule, Stottlemyer said that contractors have made a three-dimensional, computer-generated model of the new Emergency Room. She said having this model will hopefully minimize change orders that would slow the project.
Another measure that had to be in place before moving forward with the demolition is the addition of the interim imaging center and laboratory and pathology facilities. These needed to be built to accommodate those departments during the demolition.
Stottlemyer explained that these buildings went up so much faster than the construction of the main building because they do not house patients.
Part of the reason for a new hospital building is a state mandate requiring hospitals be fortified to withstand a significant earthquake. These interim buildings did not have to meet this scrutiny.
Stottlemyer explained that there could be unforeseen interruptions with the demolition project. Even though the demolition project will not involve a wrecking ball or implosions, an emergency surgical operation or other delicate work would stop the demolition, as safety is always the primary concern, Stottlemyer said.
NIH officials stated that there have been several requests from the public interested in salvaged memorabilia from 1949 section of the hospital. Stottlemyre said that bricks and roof tiles will be available for a suggested $5 donation on a first-come, first-served basis.
Some of the salvaged items from inside the building can be re-used and one of the cupolas (the small dome structures adorning the roof) and a weather vane are going to be retained for historic use.
Stottlemyer said that the total cost of the project is estimated to be approximately $51 million, with the demo/construction of the main building to cost $40 million alone. She added that these costs may change as NIH is still waiting on bids for some of the work.
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Last Updated ( Monday, 12 January 2009 )
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