Health department update
Officials hope to break ground on the $2.8 million SPLOST project in September.
DBell@CalhounTimes.com
Gordon County Commissioners heard an update about plans for the new county health department during their meeting earlier this week.
County Administrator Jim Ledbetter said officials had reviewed the drawings and project manual submitted by Carter and Watkins. The new facility will contain 11,310 square feet of offices for nurses, nutritionists, exam rooms, environmental health, a pharmacy, wellness, a conference room and administrative areas.
The new building, which is a $2.8 million special purpose, local option sales tax project, will be built directly behind the existing building at 310 N. River St.
Ledbetter said the current health department building that was built in 1958 is in bad shape and that the staff there is excited about eventually moving into a new space.
“It’s in terrible shape,” he said of the existing building. “I had hoped to renovate and build on to it to get more bang for your buck, but it’s just not possible.”
Once the plans are finalized for the new health department, a formal bid for construction will be put out for 30 days, and Ledbetter said ground could be broken as early as September. The project is expected to take about a year to complete and the existing structure will be torn down upon completion of the new one.
UPDATE,
Ledbetter also updated commissioners about the plans to renovate the second floor of the Gordon County Government Plaza, which is the first step toward renovation of county courthouse and annex, which is another SPLOST project.
“Upon completion of the second floor, the occupants of the annex will move to the new plaza space and renovations to the annex will begin. We expect project completion on the second floor in the first half of 2020,” Ledbetter wrote in his report.
He said some demolition will be required, as the tile floor under the carpet contains asbestos.
Work should begin in September.
Ledbetter also told commissioners that a new splash pad at the Sonoraville Recreation Department should be complete and open by next summer. That is also a SPLOST project.