QUINCY — Quincy Valley Medical Center officials have narrowed to four the number of construction firms being considered to build the new Quincy hospital. Hospital officials will conduct interviews with the candidates Jan. 25 and will make a recommendation to Quincy hospital commissioners at a special meeting Feb. 6.

Quincy voters approved a bond in August 2022 authorizing up to $55 million to build a new hospital. Groundbreaking tentatively is scheduled for this summer, and Joe Kunkel, a consultant working with QVMC on the project, said the planning is getting fast and furious.

“We’re heading into the whitewater,” Kunkel said.

He gave an update to hospital board members at the regular meeting Monday.

Commissioners approved an agreement with NAC: Trinity, the architects on the project. The district will pay about $3.29 million for the firm’s services, which Kunkel said includes the design, along with other services.

“(The agreement) deals with schematic design, design development, construction documents and NAC will have somebody on site all the way through construction,” he said.

The architects also will be working with specialty consultants needed as a result of some of the design decisions that have already been made. Kunkel said hospital officials will recommend a two-story design for the new building, which will require a special consultant for the elevator. Siting the hospital’s new helicopter pad also will require a consultant.

“There is a defined format by the state of Washington,” Kunkel said. “Then we had them do some additional pieces that were important to us.”

It’s a lot of money, Kunkel said, but it’s not only for design.

“Half of what you’re spending here is going to engineers,” he said, “because of the complexity of the air handling systems and electrical systems and structural systems, all of those things. The other half goes to the design elements, and making sure it fits with all the codes from the state of Washington.”

Commissioners also approved a contract for about $23,500 for Cumming Corporation, which will review the design and provide a construction cost estimate.

While hospital officials have settled on a two-story design, many other details are still being worked out, Kunkel said.

“There’s still some movement on that first floor (design), the relationship of the ER to (diagnostic) imaging to wound care to (physical therapy) and all those things,” Kunkel said. “And going back and making sure we have what we believe is the main entrance, ER entrance, ambulance entrance, and those kinds of pieces and how they sit on the site.”

Hospital representatives have started meeting with Quincy city officials to determine what permits will be needed and the application processes. Kunkel cited the example of a conditional use permit, which hospital officials thought would be needed for construction. But the land already is zoned for the hospital, he said.

There’s a well on the hospital’s property and QVMC has the water rights, Kunkel said. Hospital officials want to keep the water rights and use the well for outside irrigation but move the well. That will require an application to the Washington Department of Ecology, he said.

Cheryl Schweizer may be reached at [email protected].