ASTORIA, Ore. — Columbia Memorial Hospital will look to the state to help close a funding gap for the expansion and renovation project at its Astoria campus.
In an update to the Astoria City Council on Monday, Erik Thorsen, Columbia Memorial’s chief executive, said he has spoken with state lawmakers and plans to ask the Legislature to provide $6 million in matching funds for a $20 million grant the hospital received from the Federal Emergency Management Agency.
Thorsen told KMUN they are exploring various ways to raise the required match, but he believes it is a good opportunity for the state to leverage federal dollars.
“We also believe that we’re meeting one of the state’s priorities, which is improving the resiliency of Oregon coastal hospitals,” Thorsen said.
Columbia Memorial’s expansion project includes the construction of a new facility and components that will make for a more resilient campus, one that can withstand earthquakes and tsunamis and provide a safe gathering spot for patients and others in the community. The new building will include a vertical evacuation staircase and safe refuge space on the roof for up to 1,900 people.
Oregon’s legislative session will not begin until late in January, but Thorsen said he has already received positive responses from lawmakers. In particular, there has been support for the resiliency measures the hospital will provide.
“There’s interest,” Thorsen said, “but it’s always kind of balanced with, ‘Where’s the money gonna come from?’ And it’s a tight budget, which we understand, but we hope there’s enough interest that it will gain enough support to be funded.”
State Sen. Suzanne Weber and state Rep. Cyrus Javadi are the co-sponsors for the ask.
“I think things are looking good,” Javadi told KMUN. “I’m really optimistic about our chances.”
That said, it will still be a lot of work, he said, adding, “We’re asking for a pretty big chunk, which would be more than most legislators get. What I think we have going for us is how critical this project is and how well positioned and organized the hospital is.”
He believes they could be successful. The request will go to the capital construction subcommittee of the Joint Ways and Means Committee, which determines Oregon’s budget policy. Javadi doesn’t expect any movement on the request until late March or early April.
Columbia Memorial is one of Clatsop County’s largest employers. The hospital’s expansion and renovation project will cost an estimated $225 to $250 million, not including equipment costs.
Work on the new facility began this summer and is expected to continue into the beginning of 2027.