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New Southwest Health Clinic Begins Construction

Gainesville’s new Southwest Health Clinic, originally projected to be completed in 2013, has overcome its biggest obstacle and began construction this week.

The Southwest Advocacy Group, or SWAG, the Alachua County Board of Commissioners and other contributing partners came together to cut construction costs in order to provide a much-needed clinic at 816 SW 64th Terrace, in Linton Oaks, a low-income community.

The initial approach to the project began with a hard bid that consisted of bidders or construction companies submitting the price they would charge for the project.

The first bids came in at $494,000, which was $200,000 more than the anticipated price. This meant there wasn’t enough funding in place to cover the project, said Dorothy Thomas, SWAG funding chair.

Therefore, the projected date of construction had to be put on hold.

The exceedingly high costs were due to problems inherited with the former four-unit building that was donated for the clinic, said Eric Drummond, project construction manager for Charles Perry Partners, Inc.

Although the clinic has many positive aspects, such as a roof and existing utility services, it isn’t a simple “cut-and-dry” project because the building must be completely gutted and brought up to code in order to function as a health department, he said.

To keep the project within a feasible price range, the county commission turned to the constructor-at-risk approach, which sets a certain dollar amount the construction manager cannot exceed, said Charlie Jackson, the Alachua County facility manager.

Unlike a hard bid that prevents deviation from the negotiated contract and price, the new approach allows for a cut in construction costs and an increase in donations and in-kind services.

Donors to the project include the Rotary Foundation, the Florida Blue Foundation,  the Alachua County Board of Commissioners, the Alachua County Health Department and the architectural firm of Paul Stresing Associates and Charles Perry Partners, Inc., Thomas said.
The current funding for the project is approximately $297,180. However, through all the donations and in-kind services, the project’s total value is approximately $500,000, Jackson said.

“One of the reasons why I’ve enjoyed this project so much is because that really is the [only] obstacle – how to make the budget work,” Drummond said.

The clinic will be completed within five months, and until then, the temporary clinic will continue to offer adult services to anyone in the area.

Due to its success, moveable construction fences will be used to minimize disruption around the temporary clinic so residents can continue to access it until the building is complete, Drummond said.

When the temporary clinic, located in the parking lot of the building every Tuesday and Thursday from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., initially opened in April, it serviced 45 patients that month, expanding to 110 patients in August.

“We’re only open 12 hours a week, and they’re literally being seen in the back of a [emergency services] trailer,” Thomas said. “I think that highlights the point of how much this is needed."

The permanent clinic is the last step to the SWAG’s three-part mission of addressing the top needs of the community located in Gainesville’s 32607 zip code.

In 2012, SWAG partnered with Partnerships for Strong Families and the county commission to bring Linton Oaks and the surrounding community a family resource center with an adjoining playground.

The resource center needed to happen first because it’s where all the central programming comes from, and Thomas said she thinks they wouldn’t have been able to adequately assess health needs without some sort of relationship with the residents.

“From my experience out of that particular community, they view these buildings as part of the community,” Jackson said. “They feel like they have ownership, and through ownership it brings about a change to break the cycle.”

The permanent clinic will include full-scale medical services, including dentistry and pediatrics, so residents won’t have to drive or take three buses to commute on the far east side of town for their medical needs, Thomas said.

Riana is a reporter for WUFT News who may be contacted by calling 352-392-6397 or emailing news @wuft.org