New Hanover County officials are preparing to award the contract for design and construction administration services for a new Health and Human Services Facility.

The task, to be considered at the New Hanover County Board of Commissioners meeting Monday, comes after the board agreed to sell the current health department property to New Hanover Regional Medical Center for $19 million in October. The hospital plans to use the site for parking, according to news reports.

The county staff is recommending that the board award the contract for design and construction administration of the new facility to Sawyer, Sherwood & Associate Architecture, a Wilmington firm. The company's extensive portfolio includes the county's refurbished and award-winning building at 320 Chestnut St. 

The new Health and Human Services Facility "will serve as a new home for the Department of Social Services and the Health Department. Currently these departments are located in 3 separate buildings (1650 Greenfield, 2029 S. 17th, and 2023 S. 17th Street)," the county staff wrote in a summary for Monday's meeting. "This project will be to design a facility that will be constructed at the current DSS site that will make client services more efficient and convenient." 

The amount of the proposal from Sawyer, Sherwood & Associate Architecture is about $1.5 million plus a $20,000 allowance for reimbursable costs, the summary says.

"If approved, design will start in January 2017 and should be ready for bidding in February 2018," according to the summary.

The company's proposal says the new building needs to be an estimated 103,000 to 110,000 square feet, and the project budget is estimated to be $21.8 to $22.8 million. County officials also hope the site can contain up to 480 parking spots.

"We envision a facility that is inviting to patrons and employees, improves the delivery of services and reduces stress for the facility staff and patrons," wrote architect John R. Sawyer in his firm's proposal to the county.

The contract award consideration is on the agenda for the board of commissioners meeting at 4 p.m. Monday in the historic New Hanover County Courthouse, 24 N. Third St. As the county awaits the certification of election results, the  current board "will continue with its responsibilities," officials said Thursday.