When you deal with the numbers that Geoff Marshall deals with at United Hospital Center as the vice president of support services, a project whose total cost will be almost $2 million can be described legitimately as “one of our smaller ones.”

 

When it is a precursor to a project running in the future that will approach $30 million, again, Marshall’s words are not hyperbole.

 

That is what is taking place in Bridgeport on the campus of UHC. On Monday of this week, the hospital filed a building permit for $269,000 for an MRI Modular building. Marshall said the need for the building is immediate.

 

“We’re backlogged several days on our MRI and we need a third scanner,” said Marshall. “The reason for the modular being brough in is we don’t have a place in the building to put one.”

 

Eventually, there will be a place “in the building” to facilitate a third MRI. Marshall said planning well under way for an “east addition” to the hospital that will house this MRI.

 

“We’re still working out details, but the addition is going to be about $15 million. The total project will be $28 million,” said Marshall.

 

The project is still 18 months away from a likely completion. That led to addressing the immediate need for the MRI through this project.

 

“In the interim, the modular building is going to be set up against the existing building until the new addition is finished and then the MRI will be added to the addition,” said Marshall.

 

For those wondering about how a $269,000 building permit is part of a $2 million project, Marshall broke it down. The permit is for construction of the area and the foundation where the modular unit will go. The building itself is $300,000 and the MRI unit, he said, is $1.4 million.

 

“When you add it up, you’re looking at almost $2 million,” said Marshall.

 

Marks-Landau is the contractor on this project. Gresham Smith is the architect.

 

When the addition is done, so will the need for the modular unit. Marshall said there are no plans for it, but that does not mean it will be scrapped.

 

“It will be sold. The company we bought it from gave us a buy back agreement,” said Marshall.

 

Marshall said typically hospitals will utilize a tractor trailer to put in an additional piece of equipment such as an MRI. He said staff determined the modular was a better option.

 

“With a tractor trailer, the patient has to go out in the weather,” said Marshall. “For 18 months you would be exposing patients to extremely hot and extremely cold weather and all the elements. The modular eliminates that concern.”

 

Bridgeport Community Development Director Andrea Kerr said the plans show the ground level modular building covering 1,100 square feet. She said the plans are also more proof of growth at UHC.

 

“They continue to invest. There haven’t been too many entities located within the city that continuously puts back into their facilities like UHC. That’s good news because they’re investing into the community they serve and shows how strong the health care is in Bridgeport,” Kerr said. “When you are growing constantly, obviously, you are growing to meet a need.”

 

Editor's Note: Top photo shows Andrea Kerr reviewing the plans for the UHC project, while Geoff Marshall is shown in the second photo. Bottom photo shows a close up of the modular location, which is the small structure to the bottom right of the drawing.