Dive Brief:
- Work on the $300 million Valley Medical Center in San Jose, CA, is "back on track," albeit according to a revised schedule, after the very public firing and rehiring of general contractor Turner Construction, NBC Bay Area reported.
- Facility officials told NBC Bay Area that the labor force on the project is at 100%, with approximately 200 workers each day making "substantial progress" toward readiness for inspections.
- When complete, the medical center, which was originally scheduled to open in September 2015, will provide intensive care and burn unit services, as well as spinal cord, brain and physical rehabilitation. Hospital officials said they anticipate work will be complete by 2017 and that the facility will be open for patients in January 2018.
Dive Insight:
County officials fired Turner in September after expressing frustration at what they considered the contractor’s lack of a plan to step up production at the hospital. After bringing in The Boldt Co. to assess the work yet to be completed, county officials decided that staying the course with Turner would be the most cost- and time-effective option.
As an example of Turner’s efforts to move past the dispute, NBC Bay Area reported that Turner has reconfigured the pipe system suspected of causing an explosion that injured a worker in 2014. The contractor has also replaced a roof that it once said it would only repair. Jeffrey D. Draper, facilities director, told NBC Bay Area, "It's a huge change in attitude, and we appreciate Turner's efforts here."
As one of the conditions for Turner returning to the project in January, county officials said they insisted on new staffing and periodic visits from the CEO. Turner also won concessions on change orders the company said the county had previously ignored.
During the time that Turner was off the job, the county filed a lawsuit against Turner alleging it owed "tens of millions of dollars" in damages because of Turner's delays and "poor workmanship" on the hospital. Turner responded with its own legal challenge to strike significant portions of the county's lawsuit. The reconciliation deal between Turner and the county reportedly stipulated that both legal actions would be dismissed.