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Opponents to goal exception not opposed to
bypass
Kim probe looks
into materials purchase
Coronation kicks off Old Fashioned Festival
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A late beginning |
Construction on regional medical
center begins in earnest |
By Gunnar
Olson, Newberg
Graphic reporter
E-mail Gunnar at golson@eaglenewspapers.com
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The most popular question of late for Providence Newberg Hospital
spokesperson Mike Antrim has “When ya’ gonna build it?”
Starting this past Monday, Antrim has been able to say that
construction of a new $58 million regional medical center is
underway and it won’t stop until it’s done, hopefully sometime in
early 2006.
Now that there’s an answer for the most popular question, and
evidence to back it up — upwards of 150 dump trucks of dirt have
been removed per day since Monday to make way for the foundation —
there’s room for a myriad more questions and answers.
“Folks are just curious when we’re actually going to get going,”
Antrim said.
A few questions will be specific. Who is the general contractor?
Skanska U.S.A. Building Inc. of New Jersey, formerly Baugh
Construction of Portland.
Others will be questions of general interest. When will passersby
see the steel structure rise from the ground? Probably not until
November, said site superintendent Bill Melrose.
Some questions will be broad in scope. What will the new medical
center mean to Newberg’s senior population? For one thing, they’ll
have a lot more services available in town, from MRI diagnosis to
enhanced surgical services.
What happened this week? Work included digging out the foundation,
extending the sewer line from a pump station toward the medical
center and clearing the way for Providence Drive.
What will happen in the next month? Mostly more of the same.
Digging. Cinder blocks and mortar. Plumbing. Electrical. A lot of
work going down before the hospital can go up.
And many more questions. These The Newberg Graphic will try to
answer as construction continues and highlight interesting features
or personalities involved, as well as recap the progress of the
month before and forecast the upcoming plans. |
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From July 24,
2004, Newberg Graphic
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