Optimist-Outlook- 11/13/08

"It’s Really Going To Happen, A New Health Building!"
Marianna Optimist Club Activities
By Don Jones

Over the past four, to five years, William Long, Director of Jackson County’s Public Health Department, has worked tirelessly with Florida State Representative Dist. 7, Marti Coley, and other legislative members who serve on the States’ Economical Development Committee to procure funding for adequate Health Service Department Facilities for Jackson County.
According to Director Long, the need for a new facility has been well established and documented. Also, several times during the past few years, State funds were approved for construction of Jackson County’s new Health Department Facility. Each time, however, the funds were withdrawn for one reason, or another. Also, again, this year, with Representative Coley’s assistance, House Bill 501 passed, awarding Jackson County’s Health Department the necessary $10,792,300 required to construct the approved, 40,000 SF Health Department Building.
Confirming long heard rumors, Director Long, admitted that the approximate twelve acres of property, of which the current, storm battered, Sikes Building rests on, is the designated site for the new facility. By using the property previously occupied by the Sykes building, the Health Department will inherit approximately 1.5 million dollars worth of property improvements already incorporated in the landscaping, such as the paved, four hundred-ten car parking lot, and required EPA storm water retention ponds.
Construction of the newly approved Public Health Dept Building will begin January 1, 2009, and the remains of the old Sykes building will be removed by Building Contractor, Peter Brown and Associates prior to that date. Additionally, Carlos and Walls, out of Pensacola, will serve as the leading architectural firm for the project.
Currently, as most residents know, the County Health Department Services are scattered all over the place. For example, Dental Service is located on Fourth Street, while other health service providers are in separate and inadequate buildings located elsewhere. Director, Long, exclaimed that, "It will be like being set free, when we move out of our current facility into the new one." "Every time it rains, we have to cover-up our computers with plastic trash bags because of the number of leaks in the roof."
The 40,000 SF structure is of a, "Central Spine," type construction, as Director Long calls it. That means that all service providers are located off the central hallway, making it much easier to access their services. Although, Jackson County Health Department currently employs over ninety health care providers, and other support personnel, it is anticipated that this figure will grow as the new facility allows. Construction of the new facility is estimated to take six months to complete.