Jefferson Healthcare building project changes hospital access, parking

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Jefferson Healthcare kicks off its $21 million Emergency and Specialty Services Building (ESSB) project with a groundbreaking ceremony at 10 a.m., Monday, May 18 at the hospital's campus.

The ESSB is the first major project at the hospital's campus in two decades, and hospital officials say it will have a significant economic impact. The project is expected to generate an estimated $1.7 million in state sales tax, for example, and after the project is completed, the hospital should employ 10 to 20 more people, according to Kate Burke, Jefferson Healthcare spokesperson.

“The number of construction workers that will be part of the project will reach up to 200, with 80 workers at the site at the peak,” Burke noted.

The groundbreaking ceremony takes place outside on the Sheridan Street side of Jefferson Healthcare campus, by the Outpatient Specialty Clinic entrance.

Aldrich & Associates of Bothell won the bid at $20,674,000, which does not include architectural designs and other costs.

Planned is a new three-story, 45,842-square-foot hospital-grade wing on the hospital's main campus. Portions of buildings that were built in 1988 and 1965 will be remodeled, and a building constructed in 1929 will be demolished.

The project starts in May, and is scheduled to conclude in July 2016 with final move-in taking place by October 2016.

The ESSB will serve as the hospital's front entrance and house an emergency room, diagnostic imaging, dedicated cardiology services and cardiology program, cancer treatment center and women's imaging center, including 3D mammography, ultrasound and bone-density scanning.

In anticipation of construction taking place this year, some offices have already been moved off the hospital's campus.

PHASED IN, PARKING LOT CLOSURES

The first phase starts next week on the north side of the campus and is schedule to conclude in early July.

During this phase, there are changes happening to parking lots and access to Jefferson Healthcare, with two parking lots off Sheridan Street close to the emergency department closed. (See map.)

“Our primary goal during this phase and throughout the project is to maintain safe patient and visitor access to medical services that will continue to operate normally,” said Burke. “Some ADA parking stalls will be shifted and re-striped around the campus to ensure access for our patients.”

A third parking lot with access off of Sheridan Street will be open to emergency department (ED) patients and their families only. Patients and family members can access the ED entrance via a pedestrian walkway from the lot.

There will be several 20-minute parking and ADA stalls closest to the building. This lot becomes a “no outlet” parking lot; cars enter and exit the same way. Ambulance access will be rerouted to 10th and Cleveland streets to a temporary ambulance entry way on the hospital's north side. This is for emergency vehicles only.

The sidewalk sections in front of these parking lots and 9th Street will be closed to pedestrian traffic. To cross Sheridan Street safely, there are crosswalks at Sheridan and 7th Street, near 8th Street and in front of the Jefferson Healthcare Outpatient Specialty Clinic parking lot, and at Sheridan and 10th Street.

The north road section leading to Jefferson Healthcare’s main lobby entrance on the water side will temporarily become a one-way road to accommodate the new temporary ambulance entry way, off of Cleveland Street.

TRAFFIC IMPACTS PLANNED

The contractor staging area will be constructed on the Jefferson Healthcare lot in front of Manresa Castle. The contractor staging area will be used for trailers, equipment and supplies. There are two scheduled traffic impacts to 7th Street during this phase.

Utilities changes warrant digging into the roadway during May and again during the summer; watch for the signs and traffic flaggers.

Some interior work will be under way. The hallways to medical short stay and administration will be under construction to reroute patient access. The entrance to the 1929 Building lower floor from the south parking lot will be closed. Construction impacts to food services occur in late May and early June.