MORGANTOWN — A lot can happen in 12 days.
On Oct. 17, Milan Puskar Health Right Executive Director Laura Jones told The Dominion Post she was “very optimistic” the clinic would be up and running in its new home at 10 Scott Avenue by Jan. 1.
On Oct. 29, she told Morgantown City Council the move from Spruce Street likely won’t be able to commence until sometime later in January.
The delay is due to the pending sale of a neighboring property owned by North American Islamic Trust.
“Unfortunately, that sale has not gone through yet, so we don’t have right of way for electricity and sewage. That’s going to be a hold up until that sale goes through,” she said. “Because of that, we don’t have heat in the building. We can’t lay all of the flooring without heat and we can’t hook the water up because it would freeze without heat.”
Jones said Health Right and its project partners – Paradigm Architects and March-Westin – have done everything possible to keep the move on schedule.
“Actually, they were going to do the punch list and be ready for us to take possession of the building by the first of November, but with this delay, it can’t happen until the water and electric are resolved,” she said.
Despite the, hopefully, minor setback, Jones said she remains excited about Health Right’s future home.
“The space is absolutely wonderful. We love it every time we’re there,” she said, later adding, “We’re excited. Everybody is ready to go.”
In August, Jones said the working estimate to turn the 6,000 square foot building a stone’s throw from Hazel’s House of Hope into a 9,000 square-foot multi-faceted clinic and office space was $2,165,988.
“So far, we have exceeded our estimate by close to $150,000,” Jones told The Dominion Post.
This process began in September 2021, when the city of Morgantown offered MPHR $800,000 in American Rescue Plan Act money if the nonprofit would agree to move both its free clinic and mental health drop-in center, Friendship House, out of downtown by March 31, 2023.
The city has since upped its commitment to $1.1 million.
The Monongalia County Commission is, thus far, invested to the tune of $200,000. The Hazel Ruby McQuain Charitable trust is providing $550,000 and the Milan Puskar Foundation has committed $300,000.
Health Right completed the sale of its current home, 341 Spruce Street, to Round Table Development LLC earlier this month for $860,000. As part of that deal, the nonprofit will pay $7,500 monthly in rent on that property through March, though Jones expects to be out well before then.
“We are beginning the packing process very soon, so that when everything is ready to go, we can move out to the new facility,” she said. “The right-of-way situation should be only a temporary delay. The building process has been so smooth up to this point.”
