Many cities, universities and state agencies have new funding for healthcare facilities. Some funding will be used for repurposing or expanding existing buildings. Other funding is earmarked for completely new buildings. These resulting upcoming projects will not only call for professional services, construction, engineering, site work, new equipment, and technology, each will also require furniture, landscaping, parking, and upgraded security. The needs are great, and in some instances, critical, so this type of funding will likely be available for several years.
The Texas Health and Human Services Commission has approved $50 million in funding for a new 50-bed psychiatric hospital in El Paso to address mental health service needs in the region. The new facility will provide non-maximum-security inpatient care space with 25 beds designated for forensic patients requiring psychiatric treatment. Plans call for patient rooms, therapy spaces, recreational areas, and secure clinical support areas. The new facility will be built near the existing El Paso Psychiatric Center campus, but no final site location has been determined.
The project will include earthwork, drainage, and security infrastructure. A Construction Manager-at-Risk will be selected and the procurement process will be handled in two phases. A Request for Qualifications (RFQ) will be issued so that interested contractors can respond and be evaluated for shortlisting. In the second step, shortlisted companies will be announced and then asked for a guaranteed maximum final price.
Photo courtesy of the National Cancer Institute on Unsplash.
A large project will soon be launched to deliver a new mixed-use development in the Las Vegas medical district to provide much-needed housing for the area’s growing healthcare community. The medical district spans 674 acres near downtown and includes hospitals, a medical school, and research centers. This $80 million project will be designed to provide housing for medical professionals, staff, and students by offering convenient living options close to major hospitals and the medical school campus.
Plans are being developed for a residential complex that will likely be seven stories with 200 units. The complex will also include about 5,000 square feet of ground-floor retail space and a child enrichment center which will provide daycare and educational services. Construction is planned for 2025, and solicitation documents will be released as soon as the planning and design work is completed.
Officials in Cuyahoga County, Ohio, plan to invest $28 million in to renovate a building on the former St. Vincent medical campus and create a new Behavioral Health Crisis Receiving Center. The new 24/7 stabilization facility for individuals experiencing mental health and substance use crises will serve as an intervention hub, reducing reliance on emergency rooms and jails.
The first floor will be repurposed to serve as a walk-in urgent care and triage area with capacity for approximately 40 individuals. Adjoining space will be designed for immediate de-escalation, assessment, and stabilization services. The second floor will be redesigned as a 32-bed stabilization unit for short-term recovery services. The third floor will serve as an outpatient clinic, offering psychiatric medication management, counseling, primary care, and pharmacy services. Renovation work is slated for spring of 2025 and solicitation documents are currently being prepared.
Officials at the University of Alabama will provide funding for the expansion of the university’s Emergency Department on the Birmingham campus. Demand for emergency medical services in Birmingham and the broader Alabama region has escalated. This initiative, estimated at $73 million, will involve renovating the first floor of the University of Alabama’s hospital’s North Pavilion and transforming the adjacent atrium into clinical care spaces. It also includes the construction of a new three-story building. These developments are designed to accommodate the increasing volume of patients and improve the efficiency of emergency care delivery. The project is currently in the design phase and construction solicitations are expected in late 2025.
State officials in Montana approved an investment of $30 million to revamp a mental health and developmental disability facilities. The largest portion, $19.2 million, will upgrade the Montana State Hospital in Warm Springs. The facility lost its federal Medicare/Medicaid certification in 2022 because of safety concerns. The facility will be modernized, and new equipment will be installed. All safety issues will be addressed, and upgraded technology will be included. The state’s Department of Public Health and Human Services will oversee the project which is currently still in the design stage. Solicitations are expected in late 2025.
The Tennessee State Building Commission has approved a $260 million project that will replace the aging Moccasin Bend Mental Health Institute, but no final location has been announced. The current facility serves as a critical center for intensive inpatient mental healthcare across 52 counties. Sites in Chattanooga and Knoxville are among those currently being considered for the new facility. The project remains in the planning and design phase, with site selection in progress. No timelines for solicitation document releases have been announced.
Companies seeking to gain a competitive advantage with public sector decision makers should get positioned early, seek out well-connected and respected local subcontractors, follow all avenues for data and information, and watch diligently for solicitation notices. References related to successful collaborations on healthcare projects are held in high regard when decisions are being made.
