The Collier County Medical Examiner’s Office will start a $4.58 million expansion and renovation this year to accommodate its growing needs.
The Board of County Commissioners last month unanimously agreed to award the construction contract to Fort Myers-based Rycon Construction Inc. and an additional $250,000 to cover potential unforeseen conditions, including potential site problems. Rycon, which was selected over nine bidders, already is working on another county project, the $9 million County Fire and EMS Station 74 project.
The Medical Examiner’s Office project will make a 2,086-square-foot addition to the 11,847-square-foot office complex, as well as renovate the office building and part of the autopsy facility at 3838 Domestic Ave.
The current facility, headed by County Medical Examiner Dr. Marta Coburn, was built in March 1998 and staff has grown 50% since then. In 2023, the medical examiner worked on 5,326 cases, compared with 3,244 a decade earlier. Cases investigated included 3,959 death reviews to approve cremation, 342 autopsies and 647 reviews for other counties.
The autopsy odor-removal system has reached the end of its useful life, and a new air-filtration system will be installed as part of the project. This will add new working space to support current and future staffing levels.
Brian DeLony, the county’s director of facilities management, told commissioners the difficult part of the project is that the office must stay in operation round-the-clock during construction, so work must be done in phases. Construction is expected to start in mid-February and finish by April 2026.
The project budget totals $6.38 million, which includes construction costs and $1.55 million for related project expenses and soft costs, including design, permitting, information technology equipment, site preparations, furniture, fixtures and equipment to support the office.
In addition to Rycon, the project team includes ADG Architecture LLC of Fort Myers and Naples-based Exceptional Engineering Inc.
A total of $5.2 million was budgeted in a countywide capital project fund, but there’s a $1.18 million shortfall. In November, county management asked the Infrastructure Surtax Citizen Oversight Committee for funds to cover that amount, but the committee rejected the request, saying they’re hesitant to recommend funding for additional projects until county officials detail their plan to expend the remaining sales surtax funds.
The 1-cent sales surtax was approved by Collier voters in November 2018 and took effect on Jan. 1, 2019. It ended Dec. 31, 2023, after collecting $574.34 million in unincorporated Collier, Naples and Everglades City, well over the $490 million target for planned projects, and it continues to grow, with $23.4 million in interest. County commissioners have discussed a voter referendum to ask voters to impose the sales tax again to fund needed projects, but no decision has been made.
County staff plan to ask the surtax committee for the funds again after they establish a funding plan. A total of $303.57 million has been encumbered or spent so far.
