County seeks new bids for Badger Prairie health center
Higher costs for construction materials and fuel are forcing Dane County to go through a second round of bids for the new Badger Prairie Health Care Center in Verona because the first set of bids from a half-dozen contractors all came in over budget, which is projected to be close to $21 million.
The new facility is scheduled to be constructed just north of the old nursing home, which has been on the same site on Verona's far east side since before the Civil War, starting out as the county insane asylum.
The old brick building was expanded in the early 1960s, but has lagged behind in necessary building code upgrades for nursing homes, prompting the county to go ahead and plan for a totally new facility.
The facility serves the most challenging nursing home population in the county, including those patients not accepted at private nursing homes due to mental illness, those who are considered difficult to deal with in "normal" nursing home settings and those who have nowhere else to go because they can't afford it.
"We are committed to building a state-of-the-art facility to ensure our citizens with the greatest needs continue to receive the care they deserve," said Dane County Executive Kathleen Falk.
Design modifications, such as replacing brick veneer on the exterior with steel siding and using existing furnishings instead of new, should allow contractors to come in with bids at or below the project cost estimate.
The bidding process will reopen in September.
"With just a few minor adjustments we can build a new Badger Prairie Health Care Center that offers top-notch health services at a cost that's fair to Dane County taxpayers," Falk said.
If a new bid is accepted, construction on the 120-bed facility should begin in late fall with the new nursing home expected to open in 2010.
When the new Badger Prairie home opens, the old nursing facility will be torn down, but other parts of the complex will still be used for storage.
Consolidated Food Services, the county kitchen that makes thousands of meals a day for the county jail and other facilities, is also expected to remain in its current location at the Badger Prairie complex.
File photo
The new Badger Prairie facility is scheduled to be constructed just north of the old nursing home, which has been on the same site on Verona's far east side since before the Civil War.
