Construction of a storm shelter on the campus of Texas County Memorial Hospital — the first approved by FEMA for a hospital in the state — is under way. The project also includes a surgical wing.
TCMH received $562,500 from FEMA for the 4,000 square foot tornado safe room project in 2011. The agency pays about 75 percent of the cost. In 2007, the City of Houston completed a shelter at First and Pine streets in Houston. Since that time, shelters have been added at Licking, one is under construction at Cabool and Gov. Jay Nixon announced approval in May for one at the Plato School District.
TCMH also received a $298,400 Community Development Block Grant and $250,000 in tax credits to be sold toward the project in order to raise $500,000. The Care for Your Future capital campaign has received $910,000 in cash donations and additional pledges have been made through 2017. The Delta Regional Authority — which focuses on improving one of the poorest regions of the country — contributed $150,000.
The tornado safe room — under contract to Bales Construction of Waynesville — will be completed this fall. TCMH will continue to raise funds for the interior portions of the new surgery department. By fall the surgery department will be a shell that will connect the tornado safe room with the current hospital via corridors that led to a wing that includes surgery, obstetrics and intensive care departments.
On Tuesday, a large crane was lifting pieces of the pre-cast concrete from a plant at Marshall into place for the shelter. Workmen said that portion of the job should be completed this week.