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PARKERSBURG -- The Wood County Commission laid out some of the details of the space the Mid-Ohio Valley Health Department is planning to use at St. Joseph's Landing during its Thursday meeting.
Wood County Commission President Blair Couch, who serves on the health department's board, said the MOVHD is planning to utilize space in the facility that was once St. Joseph's Hospital.
Couch said the health department is planning to utilize around 20,000 square feet including a space that was once home to PARS where renovations had already been done. There is space for administrative offices, Information Technologies (IT), Environmental Health and Women and Children Services.
The department is also utilizing the old emergency room space with an entrance that can be used as a reception area. Parts of the old emergency room space will be used for exam rooms.
Space will also be made available in the facility that can be used for health fairs and other events.
County officials are still waiting word on what their insurance company will pay in an "actual cash value" for the old health department building at 211 Sixth St. in Parkersburg which was damaged in May after a waterline break. The building was built in 1908 and county officials have said a new location was needed for the health department.
Commissioners want to tear down the old health department building.
"We will use (the money from the insurance company) to facilitate the demolition of that building, I hope," Couch said.
One estimate they have gotten would be around $80,000 to tear the building down.
In addition to the demolition of the old building, officials want the money from the insurance company to go to the first rent payments for the space at St. Joseph's Landing which is being estimated from $17,000 to $20,000 a month. However, the lease includes utilities and maintenance costs, officials said.
In other business, county officials had hoped that the new Wood County 911 Center might be fully activated Thursday, but some computer issues are preventing that from happening, Wood County 911 Director Mike Shook said.
There is a problem with information coming into the center on where the location of calls are coming from. Crews have been working on it.
Due to technician availability, it could be another week before operations can be switched over to the new 911 facility at the former Suddenlink call center.
"They are still working on it," Shook said. "It has been frustrating."
The old 911 Center on Core Road is still operating as usual and calls are being answered, Shook said.
Brett Dunlap can be reached at bdunlap@newsandsentinel.com