[StBernard] Bid for $33.1 million accepted for St. Bernard Parish Hospital construction

[Westley Annis]

Bid for $33.1 million accepted for St. Bernard Parish Hospital construction

Published: Tuesday, November 09, 2010, 4:33 PM     
Updated: Tuesday, November 09, 2010, 4:36 PM

 Bob Warren, The Times-Picayune 

The St, Bernard Parish Hospital Service District on Tuesday approved a $33.1
million bid for a Metairie company to build a 40-bed hospital in Chalmette.

Citadel Builders submitted the lowest bid of the seven companies seeking the
job. The company's bid was $33,163,000. A Tennessee company, Brice
Construction, submitted the second-lowest bid, $33.45 million.

Hospital District officials said Tuesday's action will pave the way for
construction to possibly begin before year's end, but no later than January.

The contract calls for construction to be wrapped up in no more than 15
months, although Hospital District Chairman Wayne Landry said he hopes to
push the contractor to complete the task in even less time.

"What a glorious day,'' Landry said as the board wrapped up its meeting in
Chalmette.

"I've been looking forward to this for a long time,'' he said, but added,
"We've got a lot of work left to do.''

The bid the district accepted Tuesday is just for construction of the
hospital. Still to be bid is construction of the medical office building
that is part of the overall, nearly $70 million project. The medical office
building is still in the design stage.

The hospital is being built on a plot of land between West Judge Perez Drive
and St. Bernard Highway that was donated by the Meraux Foundation.

Landry said after the district's attorney and Citadel officials hammer out
the details of the contract, the district will issue a notice for the
contractor to proceed with construction.

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