The Wabash General Hospital Board is moving ahead with plans for a new ambulance service building part of a long-term effort to modernize the hospital’s campus.
At a planning committee meeting, hospital leaders reviewed a proposal from Farnsworth Group, the same firm involved in other ongoing projects.
“All of the discussion around our construction projects really leads us to the issue that we’re going to have to relocate the ambulance facility,” planning committee chairman John Evans said.
Under the proposal, Farnsworth will handle architectural and engineering design work at a cost of about $354,000. The new facility would be built behind the hospital’s maintenance and storage building just off of College Drive.
Officials say the current ambulance station no longer meets the hospital’s needs and relocation will prevent future space issues.
“We didn’t want to end up in the same situation again, building in an area we might need later. The new site gives us room to grow,” Evans said.
Before construction can begin, the hospital must meet with county commissioners to update an old ambulance service agreement that dates back to the 1990s.
Once those talks are complete, the proposal will come back to the board for final approval to bid and build.