{"id":4296,"date":"2005-04-28T00:00:00","date_gmt":"1970-01-01T00:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/lesliedinaberg.com\/wordpress\/?p=4296"},"modified":"2017-06-29T11:23:43","modified_gmt":"2017-06-29T18:23:43","slug":"hospital-construction-to-begin-in-june","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lesliedinaberg.com\/wordpress\/?p=4296","title":{"rendered":"Hospital construction to begin in June"},"content":{"rendered":"

Construction is expected to begin in June on the rebuilding of Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital,<\/a> the largest and most expensive project in the city’s history. As anticipated, the Santa Barbara City Council unanimously gave the go-ahead on April 26. Officials estimate the hospital won’t be completed until 2013.<\/p>\n

Cottage Health System Chief Executive Officer Ron Werft outlined the rigorous review process the project has undergone over the past 26 months, including 31 meetings with the City Council, Planning Commission, Architectural Board of Review and other commissions of the city; 20 meetings with city staff and 19 neighborhood meetings.<\/p>\n

“All of us who have worked on this project have a great deal of pride in it,” he said.<\/p>\n

While the current cost estimate hovers near $415 million, officials fear the cost could be much higher, with some mentioning — for the time in the life of the project — that public funds may be needed to help pay for the hospital.<\/p>\n

Cottage had initially vowed to pay for the project without taxpayer dollars, relying on a plan to sell private bonds, use hospital reserves and foundation money and raise funds in the community.<\/p>\n

“We may need your financial assistance,” said Cottage board member Dr. Nicholas Vincent, who suggested the cost of the hospital could rise to $460 or $480 million.<\/p>\n

However, Cottage Health System CFO Joan Bricher disagreed, saying, “We are very confident that we are able to provide the city with our own fiscal ability to complete this project and it’s our job to do so and we take that very seriously.”<\/p>\n

Commenting on the relatively-quick-for-Santa Barbara 26-month review process, Planning Commission Chairman Jonathan Maguire said, “this is probably the largest and most complicated development that our city will ever see. If this development were anything but Cottage Hospital, I bet we would still be a long way from where we are today.”<\/p>\n

The hospital will remain open throughout the eight-year construction effort. Cottage is working to meet a state deadline that requires all hospitals to be earthquake safe that time.<\/p>\n

Originally published in South Coast Beacon<\/a><\/h6>\n

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