Dive Brief:

• Santa Clara County, CA, has selected Wisconsin-based contractor, The Boldt Co., to take over the assessment of the beleaguered Valley Medical Center after firing Turner Construction last month, NBC Bay Area reported.
• Boldt is currently conducting an assessment of the project and determining a cost estimate to finish the troubled medical center, according to the Silicon Valley Business Journal. County Executive Jeff Smith told NBC he expects Boldt to be finished with their assessment of the unfinished work in approximately two months.
• Turner Construction began the $300 million project in 2009, but design and other changes have increased the construction costs to $380 million, bringing the total project costs to $474 million.

Dive Insight:

Santa Clara County seemed to know where its relationship with Turner was headed before officially axing the contractor. According to a staff report, the county was scouting out other general contractors in advance of Turner’s firing but couldn't find anyone to agree to take it on without an assessment — which is where Boldt came in.

The Valley Medical Center project won't be the first time Boldt — whose California practice specializes in healthcare construction — has been involved with a project that had Turner as a previous contractor. In 2009, according to the Business Journal, Boldt took over Sacramento's Sutter Health project after the contractor and Sutter "parted ways."

With all these changes going on, the county is still suing Turner for breach of contract and seeking millions in damages. Turner, who completed the nearby San Francisco 49ers stadium ahead of schedule and under budget, said the county's changes are to blame for the delays. Officials have accused Turner of prioritizing the stadium project over the hospital, but Turner denies the stadium had any impact on the hospital's progress.