Southern Oregon Update

Remodeling, renovating and new construction thrives in Rogue Valley

By Dawn Weinberger

From hospitals to educational institutions, the list of current and impending projects in Southern Oregon is long. Here are updates on a few key construction jobs:

Rogue Valley Medical Hospital

With a growing population and an increasing demand for quality health care, Asante Health Systems in Southern Oregon decided the time was right to remodel and renovate Medford's Rogue Valley Medical Center.

The $110 million, seven-phase project ($80 million of which is direct construction) will feature 250,000 sq. ft. of added space and an 80,000 sq. ft. renovation. It is slated for completion in November.

"This will provide relief for the current overcrowded conditions and improve efficiencies for medical staff and the public," said Mark Powell of Asante.

General contractor DPR Construction of Redwood City, Calif., is about to wrap up phase three, which triples the size of the hospital's emergency wing. A new parking structure is already in use.

Upcoming phases will include four stories of patient rooms, an intensive care unit, four new operating rooms and a diagnostic imaging center. Another addition, coined the "Healing Garden," is a three-acre parklike area with walkways, ponds and areas for contemplation, said architect Erik Goodfriend of Mahlum Architects in Portland, the firm responsible for the hospital's design.

DPR project manager Bill Maibusch called the facility "a real gem." He said the decision to build a full-scale mock-up of a patient room prior to breaking ground led to the project's initial success.

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"(This) allowed hospital staff to go in and use the room and experience it, and to make decisions well before we actually built it," Maibusch said. "All changes were done ahead of time. That saves the hospital so much in the long run."

Amy's Kitchen

Amy's Kitchen, a Sonoma Valley, Calif., organic canned and frozen food manufacturer, recently purchased a 50-acre parcel in White City, a tiny community of about 6,000 in Southern Oregon's Jackson County.

The company intends to build a 200,000-sq.-ft. food processing plant in two phases, said Scott Reed, chief operating officer. The facility will process soup, pasta sauce, salsa and beans.

Reed said sustainability would be a top priority in construction. LEED-certified S&B James Construction of White City has been selected as general contractor, and Tom Richman of the San Francisco-based design firm Catalyst will serve as the landscape architect. A final decision on the design architect is forthcoming.

Gold Hill and Prospect Libraries

The Jackson County Library System is about to dedicate two new library buildings. Both are part of a $39 million county bond measure passed in May 2000, granting funds for remodeling, renovation and new library construction.

Fourteen libraries received funding. The Gold Hill Library is a 5,000-sq.-ft. facility designed to emulate a historic train depot. The original library was only 1,600 sq. ft., far too small to serve the community, said Margaret Jakubcin, the library system's regional manager.

Construction cost of the Gold Hill project was $946,000.

With a construction budget of $460,000, the 2,400-sq.-ft. Prospect Library resembles a mountain lodge. The original facility was only 700 sq. ft.

"We wanted enough shelves for books and enough space so the collection could grow over the next 25 years," said Ronnie Budge, Jackson County library director.

Design for all 14 library projects is being handled by Medford-based architect Doug Skelton of Skelton, Strauss. Adroit Construction of Ashland served as general contractor for the Gold Hill and Prospect libraries.

Skelton said the buildings' designs were determined through a process involving library patrons, city representatives and community members, and the architecture truly reflects the community it serves.

Madrone Student Apartments: Southern Oregon University

For the first time in more than 40 years, the unmarried, undergraduate student population at Southern Oregon University in Ashland will have a new housing facility. Built by Adroit, the Madrone Student Apartments will be ready for occupation by this year's fall term.

Every room in the 33,000-sq.-ft. building is handicap accessible, said project architect Ray Kistler of Ogden Kistler Architecture in Medford. Kistler called the building a hybrid of a dorm and an apartment.

Each of the 24 units in the building will house four students (each in a private bedroom) and will share a kitchen, living area and bathroom. Units will be equipped with cable and Internet capabilities, and the building also has a number of passive solar features, Kistler said.

With a construction budget of $5.8 million, the university hopes the "handsome and classic" design of the building will begin to tie the eclectic look of the campus together, said Jeanne Stallman, SOU project manager.

Hannon Library: Southern Oregon University

Southern Oregon University will dedicate the new and improved 120,000-sq.-ft. Hannon Library in May, two years after breaking ground. The building replaces a 6,000-sq.-ft., technologically outdated library built in 1966.

At 67,000 sq. ft., the old library lacked space for collections and study, as well as the capability to provide the information services students demand, said Sue Burkholder, library director.

"We took the existing library, peeled away the old skin and built a new library around it," said Dale Kuykendall of Emerick Construction of Portland, the general contractor for the project. "Now it is all modern looking with a lot of brick and glass. The new building ties in (to the campus) so seamlessly."

Emerick was awarded the library contract through the construction manager/general contractor method. Kent Duffy of SRG Partnership in Portland was the lead architect, working alongside project architect Skip Stanaway and design assistant Monte Ypma.

Though the building was designed to meet the standards of LEED silver status, the university decided not to go for accreditation because of the cost, Ypma said. Features include a coffee shop, operable windows throughout and wireless capability.

The project's overall budget totaled $23.2 million, with the construction cost estimated to be $17.2 million.

Stevenson Union: Southern Oregon University

Originally, SOU planned to simply add on to Stevenson Union, the campus student center.

"But when we started having the building examined, (we found) it didn't meet seismic, fire safety and plumbing codes," said Bruce Moats, SOU's director of facilities planning and construction. "The project turned into a big renovation, bringing everything up to code."

General contractor Skanska will break ground this March, with plans to complete the project by November, said project manager Joe Schneider.

The ultimate goal: replacing the aging infrastructure of the existing 5,000-sq.-ft. building and adding 95,000 sq. ft. of space. The upgraded portion will receive new ceiling tiles, light fixtures, fire sprinklers, seismic reinforcements and an elevator that meets ADA standards. Office space will also be remodeled.

The renovation will open up more space for student activities and will house a student-dining hall. Designed by Adam Christie of Opsis Architecture of Portland, the project has a total budget of $7.2 million. Direct construction will cost about $5.8 million.