DATE: Wednesday, October 1, 1997            TAG: 9709300411
SECTION: LOCAL                   PAGE: B2   EDITION: FINAL 

                                            LENGTH:   36 lines

MILESTONES: PORTSMOUTH NAVAL HOSPITAL

JOHN CORBITT/ The Virginian-Pilot

New opening scheduled:

The new, 1 million-square-foot main hospital building at the

Navy's Regional Medical Center on Portsmouth's waterfront is

scheduled to open somewhat later next year. The building is a major

part of the $350 million project to revamp the nation's oldest

continuously operating hospital, military or civilian. The main

building - one of the last parts of the overall construction project

- is now scheduled for what the builders call ``final phase

acceptance'' in the spring instead of in January and for occupancy

during fall 1998 instead of summer.

The rest of the project:

The 1950s high-rise building, Building 215, which now houses the

main hospital functions, is being remodeled into offices and clinics

for a variety of naval medical functions. The work was delayed for a

time because the Navy was short about $34 million needed to complete

the project when the money was deleted from the fiscal 1997 federal

budget. The money was budgeted in fiscal 1999 but later moved up to

1998 to continue the project without interruption.

The original 1830 hospital, Building 1, now houses OB/GYN

services and the psychiatric wards and will be remodeled to serve as

administrative headquarters for the base. Work on this building will

not begin until the move into the new main building is complete.

Main building: 87 percent complete

To be completed: Spring 1998

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