The Gladys McCoy Health Department Headquarters is nearly complete, on budget and surpassing targets for the number of women and people of color it employed, project leaders told Multnomah County’s Board of Commissioners on Dec. 4 in one of the final briefings on the new building.
The contractor, JE Dunn, sought to award at least 20 percent of its contracts to small businesses and companies run by women and people of color. With the project construction 90 to 95 percent complete, and set to finish next month, they has exceeded that target by six points, said Brett Taute, the County’s project lead.
To support people in trades and people learning on the job, the county also set an apprenticeship goal of 20 percent. The project has exceeded that mark by 11 points.
While the county and JE Dunn continue to negotiate outstanding work-order changes, the $94 million building is still on budget, said Steve Cruzen, a manager on the project with Shiels Obletz Johnsen Inc. And it’s on time.
The tower crane has been removed, making way for the drywallers and painters. Furniture is moving in, Cruzen said, with installation of medical equipment and information-technology systems beginning next week. In January, JE Dunn plans to remove its pop-up village for workers from the vacant block next door and hand Multnomah County the keys to the Gladys McCoy Health Department Headquarters.
“We’re getting pretty close,” Cruzen said.
Next month, Health Department communications staff will launch a public awareness campaign to inform clients and partners about a planned move in April from the current headquarters office, at 426 SW Stark St., to the new building, at 619 NW 6th Avenue.
Staff will move in during four consecutive weekends in April, and operations will transition at that time.
