Construction plans are coming together for the new John C. Fremont Hospital as some key deadlines are fast approaching.
“It’s really put the project back on track,” said Jim White, hospital public works manager.
White reassured the John C. Fremont Healthcare District Board of Directors on Nov. 20 the project has momentum and is on schedule.
Concerns that changes to the project could jeopardize that schedule led in part to the resignation last month of former CEO Fred Vitello.
In recent weeks department heads and senior leaders have begun space planning, especially for the emergency department.
“There’s been a lot of 11th hour adjustments,” White said. “We feel we have a really good design with what we have to work with.”
Construction plans must be submitted to the California Department of Health Care Access and Information (HCAI) by December 31.
White said they have begun the cost estimating process.
“We’re going to take these plans that we’ve been developing and we’re going to get judgments from trades and unions what the market price cost is to build,” he said.
That cost estimate will provide current market pricing under the Build America Buy America Act, which requires construction materials in federally funded infrastructure projects to be produced in the U.S.
The new Fremont Hospital is expected to have some unique costs due to travel time to Mariposa and lodging expenses.
White said he expects to have a solid understanding of construction and overall project cost by the middle of December.
Construction of the new hospital must be completed in the next five years, by Jan. 1, 2030, to meet new seismic standards for acute care hospitals.
But the district is asking for an extension of that completion deadline, something the California legislature provided under Assembly Bill 869.
The bill authorizes HCAI to grant eligible hospitals a delay of up to three years until Jan. 1, 2033.
White said a deadline extension would be “like an ace in the pock et.”
Only 45 percent of hospitals statewide are on track to meet the 2030 deadline, according to HCAI. The statewide cost is calculated to be as much as $176 billion.
White cautioned there may be a backlog after the deadline passes.
“They (HCAI) probably don’t have a solid understanding of how many people will be standing in line,” White said.
After the project is submitted and accepted by HCAI, the district will receive a timeline from HCAI detailing a review schedule for the project.
All general acute care hospitals in California must meet strict seismic standards by 2030 whether its through new construction or retrofitting buildings.
A state law mandating the requirement passed after the Northridge earthquake in 1994.
Responses (0)