In a little more than a year, the Liberty County Health Department will have a new home.
Officials broke ground for the planned facility Monday morning, marking another step in plans for a new health department that started more than a decade ago.
“Those folks who have worked in the Liberty County Health Department, past and present, have waited a long time for this,” said County Administrator Joey Brown.
“It has been a long time coming,” said County Commissioner Connie Thrift, who also chairs the Board of Health.
Construction is expected to be completed within 15 months. The site, across Highway 84 from the VA Outpatient Clinic, has been cleared. County commissioners, in looking for a new home for the health department, reached an agreement with the property’s owners, a trio of doctors.
“It’s amazing,” said Dr. Seth Borquaye, a longtime obstetrician and gynecologist who was part of the group who owned the tract.
Initially, Dr. Borquaye and his partners, Dr. Phillip Ajayi and Dr. Wumi Oguntunmibi, thought about putting doctor’s offices on the lot, which sits at the corner of Highway 84 and Layton Street, abutting the National Guard armory.
When the county approached them about a deal for the tract with the intention of putting the new health department there, there was “no hesitation,” Dr. Borquaye said.
“The facility is old. The building was inadequate,” said Dr. Borquaye, who served on the board of health for 12 years. “We needed a bigger facility to be able to offer more for the community. I never thought I would see something like this. I finally see it.”
“The present health department had gotten antiquated, in both structure and functionality,” said county commission Chairman Donald Lovette. “As the county grows, health care has to grow with the county. Our county is growing by leaps and bounds and we appreciate the vision, the foresight and the commitment of the Coastal Health District and the Board of Health to set aside funds for this project.”
While the COVID-19 pandemic has placed a new focus and emphasis on local health departments, Thrift and Dr. Bonzo Reddick, director of the Coastal Health District, pointed out there is more to the health department than COVID-19 vaccines.
The WIC clinic also will be housed in the new health department, and Thrift noted the number of young soldiers and families based at Fort Stewart who use the clinic.
“There are a lot of babies out there,” she said.
Environmental health and family planning also will have more room in the new building, and there will be classrooms and support areas for the health department staff.
“It is always a great day in Liberty County when we can break ground on a much-needed facility as this to serve so many people, not only in Liberty County and Fort Stewart,” Thrift said.
As the many pine trees on the property were brought down to clear room, Thrift said she started getting questions why those trees were coming down.
“Once I told them, were they happy,” she said. “They knew the need for the facility. It’s time for Liberty County to step up to the plate and do what needs to be done for our citizens.”
Buckley and Associates are the architects and Pope Construction is the contractor for the building. The building contract is approximately $15.7 million. Proceeds from the special local option sales tax are being used for the bond payments funding the construction.
The planned facility will be 44,000 square feet, with about 120 parking spaces. It will replace a 33,000 square foot building that opened in 1980.
“It will top-notch, I’m sure,” Thrift said.
