Colorado Real Estate Journal -
Battlement Mesa medical patients sometimes have to travel from one end of a retail strip center to the other for an X-ray, and procedures like MRIs mean a drive outside the Western Slope community. That will change in February, when the Grand River Hospital District opens Clinics West, a 39,000-square-foot facility that will put the Grand River Medical Clinic and Grand River Health & Safety Center, along with a diagnostic imaging facility and full laboratory, under a single roof. The building is being constructed at the corner of Spencer Parkway and Sipprelle Drive, across the street from the existing facilities located on either end of a retail center. “It’s going to be huge for the community in that area. They’ll no longer have to drive to Grand Junction or Rifle to get laboratory or radiology services. We’ll have a lab and a radiology department in this building,” said Russell Kirkham, director of support services for Grand River Health. “It will have easier parking access and just will be so much easier in general,” said Annick Pruett, director of community relations. Including equipment, the facility represents a $16 million investment in serving patients in Battlement Mesa and Parachute. Planned since 2008, it was put on hold during the recession but remained the top priority for the hospital board. Construction began early this year. Built into a hillside, the splitlevel building will feature a single-story patient entrance that looks back on the mesa and two levels on the employee-entrance side that face down the valley toward the mountains. “It’s going to have some really spectacular views,” said Kirkham. The building will have energy-efficient mechanical, electrical and plumbing systems, including high-efficiency lighting, daylighting controls and occupancy sensors. It will adhere to the 2009 International Energy Code standards, which specify increased insulation and airlock vestibules to reduce air escape at entrances during times of high traffic. The Clinics West building was designed by Davis Partnership Architects and is being built by FCI Constructors. Grand River Hospital District’s main campus is in Rifle, where it operates the Grand River Hospital and Medical Center.