Ground broken for new health, EMS building; CANCO as CM
2 days ago
Meller Family Health Center, set to open in 2025, will provide new, shared space for Lee County Health Department and EMS.
FORT MADISON, Iowa — Ground donated by a local family was broken in a ceremony Oct. 14, 2024, to kick off construction of a new facility for the Lee County Health Department and Lee County EMS. The site along Avenue O on the west side of Fort Madison formerly housed a motel, but has been vacant for many years.
As construction manager, Carl A. Nelson & Company (CANCO) took part in the ceremony along with elected officials from Lee County and Iowa District 1 U.S. Rep. Marianette Miller-Meeks, health department and EMS officials, the city of Fort Madison, a representative from the architectural firm that designed the new facility, and members of the Meller family, for whom the Meller Familiy Health Center building will be named. Work on the facility is expected to be complete in the fall of 2025.
Health Department and EMS officials said the new space for addressing local public health issues and to house ambulance crews will help each agency to provide better service to Lee County residents. The 12,000 SF building is designed with future expansion in mind.
Funding for the facility came from a variety of sources, including a COVID-19 relief allocation from the American Rescue Plant Act (ARPA), and a special Congressional appropriation supported by Miller-Meeks. Construction cost for the project is approximately $5.25 million, with a total project cost of about $6.6 million.
Project Manager Ryan Harris from Carl A. Nelson & Company expressed gratitude on behalf of the firm for being selected to provide construction management plus design services to the county. In the construction manager role, CANCO will work to maintain the budget and schedule for the project, while supervising the efforts of the project's prime contractors to ensure a quality finished project.
