La Plata County commissioners unanimously approved a contract to purchase a $4.5 million building in Bodo Park for the newly minted county health department.
The execution of the contract kicks off a 90-day period during which the county will conduct a due diligence review of the property, and may terminate the sale should something prove unsatisfactory.
La Plata County Public Health is currently at 281 Sawyer Drive. The Bodo Park building is shared with Community Connections, and another part was recently purchased by Durango School District 9-R. The offices and clinic occupy the space that once held San Juan Basin Public Health.
When SJBPH formally dissolved at the end of 2023, its assets were distributed to Archuleta and La Plata counties.
In anticipation of a desired move, the county opted not to inherent SJBPH’s share of the building, but to leave it in possession of the receivership in charge of the former department’s assets.
County Manager Chuck Stevens said the 281 Sawyer Drive building is not a great fit for the county.
The co-ownership model limits the county’s ability to dictate when capital projects and maintenance occur and hinder flexibility, he said.
“This is a good opportunity to do a little build-out of, essentially, a turnkey building that will satisfy the needs of our public health department,” he said.
The new building, located at 185 Suttle St., will retain the locational benefits of Bodo Park. The building was formerly home to Axis Health System.
The two-floor building came in at just under 20,000 square feet, however, the upper floor – half the area – is leased to the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation through 2027.
The 10,000 square feet available to the county upon purchase would be less space than needed, and the county would seek to relocate the department’s clinic and water lab at a specialized location.
BOR would continue to pay $238,000 annually in rent for the space, offsetting the $4.5 million cost of the building. The county will also inherent assets from SJBPH from the sale of the Sawyer Drive building.
Commissioners supported the move Tuesday, and said that as the county continues to grow, having additional office space to use could prove useful.
If the sale goes through, Stevens projected that the department would move in late 2024 or early 2025.
rschafir@durangoherald.com
