The replacement of Martin Army Community Hospital at Fort Benning has taken a major step forward with the awarding of a contract to design and build the state-of-the-art facility.
Turner Construction Co. of Huntsville, Ala., made the $333 million bid to construct the 745,000-square-foot facility, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers confirmed Wednesday.
“We use a best-value selection process,” Corps public affairs officer Billy Birdwell said. “That means it may not necessarily be the low bid, but it will be the best value for the government and the taxpayer.”
The design and construction phase of the new hospital is expected to begin this month after the Corps of Engineers gives final notice to proceed with the project, which should be completed by summer 2013.
The medical facility will be nearly twice as large as the existing 393,000-square-foot hospital, which was built more than 50 years ago. It will have 70 in-patient beds and two wings — one for clinics, one for the hospital. There will be two parking garages.
“The goal is to provide our soldiers, our veterans and their families with a modern medical facility that will offer the highest quality of patient care and this contract is a milestone in the process of achieving that goal,” U.S. Rep. Sanford Bishop said in a statement issued Wednesday. The Georgia Democrat’s district includes Fort Benning.
The new hospital was originally to be built next to the old one on Marne Road. But the Army Corps of Engineers moved the new facility to a patch of ground a half-mile away.
“The relocation will help alleviate parking issues and allow for a faster construction schedule,” said Alan Bugg, resident engineer for the project.
The Corps said the Fort Benning hospital is the largest contract awarded in its Savannah District this fiscal year, which ended Wednesday.
The fate of the existing hospital has not been determined, the Corps said. Some local veterans groups have floated the idea of using it as a Veterans Administration hospital.
The replacement of Martin Army Community Hospital comes as Fort Benning is in a major expansion mode following the most recent Base Realignment and Closure.
The U.S. Army is moving its Armor School from Fort Knox, Ky., to Fort Benning, where it will be blended with the Infantry School to form the Maneuver Center of Excellence. The center is mandated to be in place by September 2011.
Fort Benning, which dates to 1918, supports more than 120,000 active-duty soldiers, reservists, retirees, civilian employees and their family members on any given day.
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