May 20, 2005

Panhandle Health District Plans Groundbreaking Celebration for New Building

Groundbreaking is scheduled for 2 p.m. Tuesday on a long-awaited new headquarters building for Panhandle Health District in Kootenai County.

The new building will be located at 8500 N. Atlas Road in Hayden and will house PHD's 98-person staff in Kootenai County. Those employees currently are distributed throughout four different buildings, due to space requirements. PHD has a total of 155 employees in the five northern counties.

The building is expected to cost approximately $5.2 million and will be ready for occupancy by PHD staff next summer.

At approximately 46,000 square feet, the new building will double the space currently occupied by PHD staff in Kootenai County.

"Because of our severe overcrowding, we've been forced to lease additional space for several years," PHD Director Jeanne Bock said. "Our new building will allow us to consolidate our staff in one location, thus reducing expenditures and improving services for the public."

Leone and Keeble Inc., a Spokane construction company, submitted the low base bid of slightly more than $4.9 million. A number of alternate items, including vinyl wall coverings and landscape development, bring construction costs to $5.2 million.

Architects West Inc., of Coeur d'Alene designed the building. Its location reflects the movement of population in Kootenai County, as well as the high cost of available property.  

"Available space in the Ironwood area is being sold at a premium," Ms. Bock said. "We wanted to build a practical, functional building at a reasonable cost. We believe both the design and the location of our new headquarters building meets those criteria."  

PHD's current facility at 2195 Ironwood Court recently was sold to Kootenai Medical Center for $2,150,100. Those funds, combined with financing through the Idaho Health Facilities Authority and a reserve capital building fund will pay for the new building.

"We are trying to keep the (new building) payment close to the amount of money that we have been adding to the building reserve for the last two years to avoid impacting our general budget," Ms. Bock said.

Public health districts were created by the Idaho Legislature in 1970 and were established July 1, 1971.

Panhandle Health District originally was housed at 412 Lakeside Ave. The current building at 2195 Ironwood Court was constructed in three phases. The first phase was completed in April 1974; the second phase was finished in October 1974, and the third phase was dedicated June 28, 1996.