Moving forward with the expansion
Contact: Sarah Bello
By Erik Thorsen, CEO
I am pleased to share that the design development phase of the BuildCMH Expansion Project is complete. We are now in the next phase: construction documentation. 
During this phase, our project team is finalizing building drawings and specifications, such as what materials will be used in the expansion facility. We are on track to break ground for the expansion in late 2024.
Taking shape
Final decisions about the facility's design will be based on the many hours of feedback we have received from the community, patients and Columbia Memorial Hospital caregivers. Throughout 2023, we were pleased to work with many people on the expansion facility's design.
The expansion facility will increase the space available for the health care needs of our community. With the expansion, the hospital will grow from our current 56,000 square feet to 182,000 square feet, with significant space improvements for the emergency department, inpatient rooms, surgery, imaging, café and caregiver respite areas.
The expansion facility will also be equipped to withstand natural disasters and include a tsunami evacuation structure that can accommodate 1,900 people. In addition, critical infrastructure, generators and a helipad will be located on the roof so we can continue to provide services during an emergency.
Read on to learn more about the BuildCMH Expansion Project and hear from some of the people who were part of the design development phase.