SAN DIEGO – Naval Facilities Engineering Command (NAVFAC) Southwest awarded Clark/McCarthy of Costa Mesa, Calif. a $394 million Recovery Act funded contract September 1 to design and construct a new hospital at Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton in Calif.
Navy Medicine West is the sponsor for the hospital representing the Navy Bureau of Medicine and Surgery (BUMED). NAVFAC Southwest will manage the largest American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 project awarded in the Department of Navy.
"The Naval Hospital Replacement Project at Camp Pendleton is one of the largest Recovery Act projects within the Department of Defense, and plays a critical role for the support and care for the local military families in the Camp Pendleton area," said Cmdr. Whit Robinson, NAVFAC Southwest Resident Officer in Charge of Construction (ROICC) Naval Hospital Camp Pendleton.
Clark/McCarthy, a joint venture, will design and construct the new 500,000 square foot, multi-level medical hospital on a 70 acre site at Camp Pendleton. The new hospital will include a central utilities plant, a 1,500 space multi-level parking structure, surface parking, site development, and associated supporting facilities such as inpatient medical facilities, ancillary departments, emergency care, primary care, specialty care clinics, support spaces, and facilities for non-ambulatory patients with stays in excess of 24 hours.
"I speak for both Clark and McCarthy in stating how pleased we are with NAVFAC's trust and confidence in selecting our team for this very significant contract award," said Richard M. Heim, Clark-McCarthy, a Joint Venture, managing partner. "We pledge the utmost from both firms in making this much needed hospital a valued success for NAVFAC, a strong boost to the construction community, and the best facility for our men and women in the Navy and Marine Corps."
The project will have facilities to provide a variety of medical services for surgery, patient overnight stays, dental care, intensive care, and general medical and emergency care.
"Navy Medicine West strives to provide the safest environment for both patients and staff in California’s earthquake-prone region," said Ché Miranda, Navy Medicine West deputy chief of staff for Installations and Logistics. "California’s Seismic-safety legislation, Senate Bill 1953, was passed in 1994 following the Northridge earthquake. The Northridge earthquake caused 23 hospitals to suspend some or all of their services and resulted in more than $3 billion in hospital-related damages. Although state standards do not directly apply to federal hospitals, Navy Medicine leaders recognizing this vulnerability to one of the largest concentrations of USMC Forces in the world, and identified this project as a top priority for military medical construction."
The contract also contains two planned modifications and one option. One modification will purchase conservation banking credits. Conservation banking credits are approved by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) that bank owners sell to developers or project proponents who need to compensate for the impacts their projects have on threatened or endangered species, wetlands, environmentally sensitive habitat areas, mudflats, sub-tidal areas, and less sensitive resources.
The second modification is to obtain furniture, fixtures and equipment necessary to support the facility’s function. The option is for building additional parking. The use of the modifications and option will increase the value of the contract to $451 million.
"In full swing, it is estimated that this project may employ between 700 and 1,000 construction workers daily, thus providing a large economic stimulus for the area," said Robinson. "The Naval Facilities Engineering Command Southwest, Navy Medicine West and the Officer in Charge of Construction, Marine Corps Installations West have assembled tremendously experienced project and construction management teams to preserve our commitment of providing absolutely one of the most relevant and sophisticated health care facilities possible for our Marines, Sailors and their families."
The project is scheduled for completion in 2014.
Since April 2009, NAVFAC Southwest has awarded 107 Recovery Act projects for more than $814 million including the Camp Pendleton hospital project.
