PORT ANGELES — Olympic Medical Center has awarded a $367,824 bid to Primo Construction of Port Angeles to build an 89-spot employee parking area just east of the hospital.
The idea is to free up more parking space for patients and visitors.
“Parking has been a long-frustrating thing for me,” said Eric Lewis, OMC chief executive officer.
“It’s an infrastructure issue: We’ve finally acquired the land, and now we’re putting in the parking.”
The new parking area will border the eastern edge of the existing parking lot in the quarter-block between Chambers and Columbia streets.
The bid includes an $16,780 alternate for an underground conduit that eventually will provide a second power source for the hospital, and an $6,740 alternate for the paving of a nearby alley.
Lowest of three bids
OMC commissioners approved the bid from Primo Construction — the lowest of three bids the public hospital district received — by a 7-0 vote Wednesday night.
“This would, again, add 89 spots, and it is part of our long-term strategic plan,” Lewis told the board.
“The goals are really to create convenient, close parking for our employees but then free up spaces close to the hospital for patients and visitors.
“I will say that one of the ongoing patient and visitor complaints is lack of close parking during busy and peak times,” Lewis added.
“And we really do fill up at times. This will be for employees and others that just need a place to park.”
Construction is planned for the next 21/2 months.
“It’s ‘get it done when the weather’s good,’” Lewis said.
The board-designated maximum consideration was $445,000.
OMC will use a portion of a 2011 debt issuance, most of which was used to refinance 2006 and 2007 bonds, to pay for the project.
Commissioner Jean Hordyk asked Lewis how the hospital intends to enforce the employee parking policy.
Lewis said he expects good compliance considering the proximity to the hospital at 939 E. Caroline St.
Although no disruptions are expected with the new parking lot projects, crews will have to cut into the existing parking lot to install the underground conduit.
2nd electrical feed
The conduit will “basically allow us to bring in wire and get a second electrical feed for the hospital,” Lewis said.
“There’s separate grids, and the city of Port Angeles would like to give us a second feed, but we need a way to get those wires, and we also have to install a switch,” Lewis said.
“The electrical switch and the wire could cost $80,000. That’s a separate project not included here. This would just give us underground conduit all the way to the hospital from Chambers [Street].”
Dr. John Miles, OMC board chairman, said he initially was opposed to the parking lot expansion but reversed his position after a conversation with Lewis.
The larger parking lot will enable OMC to expand its campus in the future.
“We’re going to be here for the long haul,” Miles said.
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Reporter Rob Ollikainen can be reached at 360-452-2345, ext. 5072, or at rob.ollikainen@peninsuladailynews.com.