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Breaking ground on the new 48,950 s.f. Jackson County Health Department

Not even the cold, windy morning could keep supportive community members away Thursday, as the Jackson County Health Department broke ground for their new facility. Various elected officials, community members, health department employees and patients were all in attendance as officials spoke on the project. The crowd shivered as JCHD Administrator William Long spoke on the hard work of many to get the go-ahead for the project. “We are as proud as we can be,” Long said. “This project has been 12 years in the making with efforts to secure funds starting back in 1999.
“The road to get here has been a long one, with many obstacles. We’ve had two or three architects, a protest from one and a hold on the location.” Regardless of all the road blocks along the way, many congratulated Long Thursday morning for his ceaseless efforts. An official with the Surgeon General’s Office said the facility speaks to the dedication to the community, even in difficult fiscal times. Rep. Marti Coley, R-Marianna agreed. “This facility is a fine example of team work. And I’ll tell you, Mr. Long has been presenting his needs to us from day one,” Rep. Coley said. Long thanked all in attendance and was sure to mention all those who assisted in making this facility a reality. Long stated that Sen. Al Lawson, D-Tallahassee, played a huge part in securing the funding for the facility, with help from Rep. Coley. Long also thanked city and county commissioners in attendance for their efforts in granting the permission for use of the site. The county, in cooperation with the city of Marianna, made the site possible Long said. The former home of a Sykes call center is set to house the new health department facility, with actual construction set to begin mid-March. Completion is expected around April 2011. Long joked that he has high hopes that the new facility will not share the fate of the old Sykes building, which was destroyed some years ago by a tornado. The new facility will serve as a replacement for the current health department offices, and will combine all of the services from multiple sites into one. There are currently four locations around Marianna, with offices spread all over the city, from 4th Street and Guyton Street to U.S. Highway 90. These four locations all total about 17,000 square feet of office space. The new facility, however, will be a one-story, 48,950 square foot multi-use facility, giving employees the much-needed extra space.
According to Long, the project was initiated not only as a way to consolidate the services and employees all in one place, but to also provide the community with a much needed upgrade to their local health department. The current health department facility was built in 1956, with few renovations or remodeling since. The new building will house all health department services, including Women Infants and Children, social services, a dental clinic, a mobile dental unit, a medical clinic, medical records and intake, vital statistics, environmental health, school health and business support, among others. All the administration offices will also be located at the new site, along with a multi-purpose space for public service training programs. According to a release from the county health department, this public meeting room will serve as a community multi-use facility. It will be positioned on the property to allow for its use after hours without violating the security of the rest of the facility. The facility is being constructed by Peter Brown Construction Inc. The local architectural firm David H. Melvin Inc. is serving as the civil engineer and landscape architect for the facility. The project has a construction budget of $8.2 million. Long says the funding for the facility is coming from an appropriation from the state legislature. The total amount awarded was around $11 million, according to Long. The excess will go towards furniture, fixtures and equipment Long said. The site currently provides parking for 422 vehicles, access to Caverns Road and State Road 166, along with an emergency generator. All attendees were excited about the new facility, and many were congratulatory to Long and his staff for their efforts.