MADERA – Sunny skies and pleasant weather brought a crowd of local officials, community members and staff to a groundbreaking ceremony hosted by the Madera County Board of Supervisors last Friday.
The gathering marked the start of construction of a $53 million office complex which will house the Departments of Public Health and Social Services.
“After several years of planning, a newly-constructed, state-of-the-art campus is on its way to becoming a reality,” said Board of Supervisors Chairman Tom Wheeler. “The project is designed to modernize and enhance services to residents in Madera County and consolidate functions to better facilitate operations.”
The project was unanimously approved by the Board in November 2017 and includes four 39,200 square foot buildings, infrastructure improvements for water and sewer, road and lighting enhancements, visitor parking and secure employee parking.
The energy-efficient buildings will benefit from a photovoltaic system that will also provide shade structures throughout the parking lot.
In addition, the Madera County Public Health Department was awarded an Urban Greening Grant for a health trail around the perimeter of the complex, complete with exercise stations and landscaping to help mitigate carbon footprint and improve green space for public use.
The new facilities will help to consolidate services that are currently housed at multiple locations to one central location.
Public Health Director Sara Bosse and Social Services Director Deborah Martinez thanked the Board of Supervisors for their support and praised staff and crews with Spencer Enterprises, Inc. and Harris Construction, who were awarded the bid to build the project. The Spencer Enterprises, Inc. and Harris Construction team also constructed the County’s new Sheriff’s Office facility in 2015.
The project is being funded with State and Federal resources. The Public Health Department costs are funded through a combination of Health Realignment and health grant programs, and the Department of Social Services costs are funded through State and Federal Social Services Program sources.
The facilities are located on the corner of Avenue 14 ½ and Road 28 and are expected to open by winter 2019.
