PORT HURON — A multi-million-dollar buildout of a new space for St. Clair County’s Health Department inside the county’s administration building downtown could kick off as soon as next month.
However, a firm date of when the public health agency will open services at 220 Fort St., the southern half of the admin building at 200 Grand River Ave., has not yet been announced.
Last Thursday, the board of commissioners signed off on a final $5.5 million estimated total project cost, including half a million in architectural fees originally green-lit in 2023 and a new $3.7 million construction bid to the St. Clair Shores-based Bernco, Inc.
In an email, the health department said they hoped Bernco would begin construction in July, anticipating the process to take eight to 12 months, barring any supply chain issues or other delays.
“We are very pleased and thankful the Board of Commissioners, St. Clair County administration, and the community continue to be supportive of our move and renovation of the current building,” Liz King, the county’s health officer, said via email Friday. “We are excited to see the progression of the project and look forward to delivering services in our new location sometime next spring.”
Officials have discussed relocating the health department from its decades-old digs, 3415 28th St., at the corner of Moak Street — a building that County Board Chairman Jeff Bohm has previously referred to as “the worst” among the county’s assets — for several years.
And as a lease for office space at the administration building neared an end, county commissioners agreed in early 2023 that some remaining American Rescue Plan Act dollars would finance the move and retrofitting operations.
The space off Fort Street was previously occupied by the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services. Spokesperson Lynn Sutfin said the state agency moved out in early May and reopened for business in suite 4 of 1430 Military St.
According to site plans for the new county health department location, floorplans show a two-story layout with a network of office and lounge space, a laboratory, and a cafeteria on the upper level with a large series of labs and exam rooms, waiting areas, and reception on the lower level.
On Friday, the health department said it’d work “hard to reduce any disruptions in services” once the relocation comes, though plans were in place to alert the public “well in advance” if a temporary pause closer to the move-in date became necessary. In a separate statement, the department cited a “a robust communication plan and timeline” that’s been developed surrounding promotion of the move.
Bohm said they haven't identified a reuse for the 28th Street building.
"If there's people out there that are interested, please contact administration," he said.
Contact reporter Jackie Smith at (810) 989-6270 or jssmith@gannett.com.
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