Baraga County Memorial Hospital breaks ground on new $28.7 million facility

It was just the first step of many to come, but the ground breaking ceremony marked the start of the new Baraga County Memorial Hospital construction in L'Anse. 

The site has already been cleared and footings and foundation walls were constructed last fall by MD Contracting of Baraga, Grand Traverse Construction of Traverse City and Moyle Construction of Houghton. Work was expected to resume this week. 

"Construction on the project started last fall, however, we wanted to take the opportunity to officially recognize all of the effort that has gone into the planning process over the last three years to make this project a reality," says John Tembreull, BCMH Administrator.

The new hospital will replace the old facility. The project will result in a 71,000-square-foot facility designed as a single-story structure that will provide inpatient, outpatient, emergency, physician, diagnostic, and pharmacy services under one roof.  

The inpatient area will consist of 15 beds in seven private rooms and four semi-private rooms.  The structure will include a medical office building, which is designed with offices and exam space to accommodate up to eight staff physicians and two specialty clinic physicians.  Provision has also been made for a retail pharmacy outlet adjacent to the physician offices.  

The new facility is slated for completion in July 2011.

The construction of the facility is being financed through the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and Federal Housing Authority hospital mortgage guarantee program.  The hospital received final approval of the financing through HUD January 22.  

A total of $28.7 million was issued in two taxable bond series with $25.1 million of Build America Bonds, and a $3.7 million issue covering refinancing of current debt and other costs.  The new hospital is being financed without local tax millage with repayment of the debt incurred made from hospital operating funds.