William Beaumont Hospital Opening Delayed

William Beaumont Army Medical Center has faced problems, budget issues and delays from the very beginning. Now, here comes another one.

The new William Beaumont Army Medical Center, sitting just off the loop near spur 601, is so big it can be seen from almost anywhere in town east of the mountain. According to KFOX-TV, it covers 1.1 million-square-feet and has:

10 operating rooms
269 exam rooms
30 primary/specialty care clinics
135 patient beds
16 intensive care rooms
8 labor and delivery rooms

While it's primary purpose is to serve the military and veterans, it will cater to civilians in emergency situations.

“I mean look around you there’s not a whole lot out here and there’s a lot of things that happen in the northeast on the loop on 375. Any car accident anything bad that happens comes here and we’ll be a trauma center receiving anybody,” said Colonel Michael S. Oshiki Commander of William Beaumont Army Medical Center. - KTSM

Military or not, potential patient or not, everyone is starting to wonder when it will finally be finished and opened. The answer to that question just changed to, (maybe), March 28th, 2021. It was supposed to have opened in February 2020 but, that was delayed and has now been delayed again due to a "contractual protest". I'm not really sure what the hell that is but, no work may be performed for a period of up to 100 days while things get sorted out.

The project is already 4 years overdue and seriously over budget. The original cost for the complex was $812.8 million. As of June 2018, that cost had jumped to $1.2 billion and the most recent estimate I could find put the cost at $1.37 billion.