Health Center Goes To Bid
Tidioute facility boosters still seeking donationsBy LYDIA COTTRELL lcottrell@timesobserver.com
Bids have been solicited for the construction of the future Tidioute Area Health and Dental Center (TAHDC).
Now, the board of directors for the TAHDC has to wait and see if its fund-raising efforts will be sufficient to begin construction after selection of the winning bid.
According to board Vice President Cindy Paulmier, the first advertisement soliciting bids was published on Monday. While the group has a fund-raising goal of $560,000, she noted that the exact cost of the building will be unknown until the sealed bids are opened.
"I hope we are somewhat on line for the cost of the building," Paulmier said.
According to the board treasurer Sandy Jamieson, the group has raised about 74 percent of its $560,000 goal, which is roughly $414,400. That amount includes $100,000 in Growing Greener II funds allocated by the Warren County Commissioners in December 2008. However, it does not include a separate Growing Greener allocation of $120,000 the commissioners earmarked for the project in July of this year. The commissioners re-allocated the funds to the TAHDC after the state Department of Community and Economic Development deemed the Pine Grove Ambulatory Surgical Center expansion for St. Bonaventure dual enrollment ineligible for the grant.
"Even though the commissioners gave us the allocation, we still have to apply for the grant through the (Department of Community and Economic Development)," Jamieson said. "We haven't received any information on that one."
Fund-raising efforts have also been bolstered by contributions from township supervisors, local service organizations, county foundations, banks and corporate businesses with the most recent being a $20,000 contribution from Blair LLC.
"It means a lot that they're showing support for Tidioute and their employees who live in the area," Paulmier said of the businesses that contributed to the effort.
Jamieson explained the need for cash donations on the front end of the project. In terms of the Growing Greener II funds, which are denoted for construction costs only, she said the group needs to spend the money before they received the grant funds.
"We send them the invoice and about six weeks later will get the money," Jamieson said. "It's very important that we have actual cash on hand."
She added, "We still need donations. Now that we are going out to bid, it would be good if people who haven't donated, but want to, if they could see their way to send us a donation."
Although a date for a groundbreaking is still up in the air, Paulmier noted that the group has accomplished a lot in a short amount of time.
"We are not even a year into it," she said. "In reality, we are not doing too bad."
