QUINCY — Fences are going up and other site preparation should start in early October and the groundbreaking ceremony for the new Quincy Valley Medical Center is scheduled for 4:30 p.m. Saturday. The groundbreaking will be at the construction site behind the existing hospital, 908 10 Ave. SW.

Kayla Van Lieshout, project manager for project managers the Klosh Group, said Graham Construction, the general contractor, has a construction schedule and a tentative start date.

“So Graham right now is targeting the first week in October,” Van Lieshout said. “Anticipating Oct. 3 to start mobilizing to site. That date’s not set in stone yet; that’s what we’re tentatively targeting at this point.”

Drivers passing the site will see construction fences going up and site entrances and exits being laid out, along with construction office trailers going in, she said.

“A couple of weeks in is when they will start demolition of the buildings that are coming down. That will go on for about a month’s time,” she said. “And while that’s going on, they’re going to have other equipment out there to start excavation of the footings and foundation work.”

A modular office building and a former church that was purchased by the hospital district and used as office space will be demolished. The existing QVMC will remain open and operating during construction.

Joe Kunkel, the lead consultant on the project, said the goal is to get moving and stay moving. Quincy city officials have to review and approve the building plans and have agreed to do that in phases, rather than waiting to approve the entire plan. City officials have given the go-ahead for the site preparation, foundation work and underground utility installation, he said.

“They’re working with us on making sure that our need to get going is not hampered by somebody waiting to finish (reviewing) a complete (document) package. The important thing for us is once Graham starts moving, we don’t want them to stop,” he said.

The design of the new QVMC is for a two-story building with eight rooms for patients who are admitted. The new hospital also will house the emergency room, the Sageview Clinic and other services like physical therapy and wound care, which is treatment for sores, incisions or other damage to body tissue that’s not healing.

Hospital district voters approved a bond for up to $55 million for construction in August 2022. The current construction budget is $55.675 million, which has not changed from the earlier estimate presented Aug. 2. The $675,000 will pay for an addition to the physical therapy department and an infusion area, which will be funded from interest earned on the construction bonds, Kunkel said at the Aug. 2 board meeting.

Hospital district commissioners will hold a special meeting in mid-September to approve a contract award for the second phase of the project. Van Lieshout said that would include the foundation work, the elevator and fire safety system, and the steel components. The projected cost is $4.4 million, and Van Lieshout said that hasn’t changed from the Aug. 2 estimate.

The price for the third phase of construction is scheduled for approval Sept. 25. The “guaranteed maximum price” means that’s the most the contractor can charge for the project. The GMP is projected to be $38.5 million, which was the earlier estimate, Van Lieshout said.

Board members hired Freeform, Spokane, to supervise the selection of furniture for the building.

“This is not for the manufacture of the furniture,” Kunkel said.

The company will provide options and help with the selection of desks, chairs and tables, fixtures and all non-medical furniture, he said.

“This is a group that then manages the whole installation at the end of the project,” he said.

Commissioners also approved a contract with Liberty Mutual to cover the building during its construction. The premium will be $106,142.

Cheryl Schweizer can be reached via email at [email protected].