CBC’s new health sciences building taking shape in Richland

Columbia Basin College is a step closer to breaking ground on its second health science building in Richland after demolition crews swept away an old federal building that occupied the site for decades.

A crew from Groat Bros. Inc., based in Woodland, Wash., spent several weeks on site. By Monday, it had largely torn down the structures at Northgate Drive and Mansfield Street, near the Richland Public Library. With the old buildings gone, CBC is primed to move ahead on an $18.25 million building addition to its growing Richland health sciences campus.

The U.S. General Services Administration previously transferred the property to CBC after declaring it surplus.

Groat Bros. won the $376,217 demolition contract by submitting the lowest of 13 bids in October. Its bid was nearly $74,000 less than the $449,560 a consultant had estimated for the job.

A Groat spokeswoman said she knew of no major surprises arising during the work.

CBC is developing the new building to accommodate its growing health care program.

The school offers degrees in nursing, medical assisting, phlebotomy, radiography and other health-related occupations. Kadlec Regional Medical Center will lease two floors for the medical residency program it launched with the University of Washington Medical Center last fall.

The joint residency program encourages medical school graduates from urban areas to complete their education in a rural setting on the hope some will establish practices here once they complete their medical training.

MMEC Architecture & Interiors designed the building. CBC will solicit bids for a general contractor in February. Spokesman Frank Murray said groundbreaking will likely be in April. The building should be complete by mid-2017.

CBC is financing the project with $3 million in payments from Kadlec and a $7 million bond issued through the Washington Housing Finance Commission’s Nonprofit Facilities Program.

The state agency sold the bond to Banner Bank, resulting in a low-interest loan to CBC that the college will repay directly to the bank. A separate bond will finance the balance.

This story was originally published January 11, 2016 at 5:17 PM with the headline "CBC’s new health sciences building taking shape in Richland."