Modesto firm awarded construction contract for new coroner’s facility

Under a $4 million contract with Stanislaus County, a Modesto construction firm will remodel a building for relocating the Coroner’s Office.

Supervisors awarded the contract earlier this month to Simile Construction Services. Eight construction firms submitted bids on the remodel.

The morgue will move from a 36-year-old building at County Center III, on Oakdale Road near Scenic Drive in Modesto, to another building at the same county center. Simile will revamp the 25,720-square-foot vacant building that was once used for a postal service coding facility.

Simile’s bid included a $132,000 option for enhanced flooring materials and a $237,000 garage expansion to provide for secure deliveries and evidence handling.

Construction is expected to take more than 10 months. The Coroner’s Office expects to make the move in September, a report said.

Civil grand juries have cited numerous problems with the old Coroner’s Office, including its inadequate size and inability to handle a disaster with multiple casualties.

The county’s Medical Arts Building at 17th and G streets was the top candidate for the new morgue, but contractors’ bids for remodeling the structure far exceeded the budget. The plan was terminated in 2013 because of the unexpected costs of stabilizing the structure.

There is no need for major structural work on the building at County Center III. The new morgue will include a larger number of autopsy stations, a lab and platform for investigators to observe autopsies. Other features include coolers, tissue storage, deputy workstations, a lobby, a secure reception area and family counseling rooms.

The county will renovate about 80 percent of the building space, leaving 5,420 square feet for future needs.

The county’s project team and Coroner’s Office staff held an Oct. 20 meeting at the center to inform nearby residents and businesses about the relocation. A county report said the meeting was positive.

This story was originally published November 16, 2014 at 5:45 PM with the headline "Modesto firm awarded construction contract for new coroner’s facility."