Construction of new WA psychiatric hospital ‘on scope, on schedule, on budget’

The construction of the new $947 million Western State Hospital facility is charging ahead and on track for completion, officials announced Thursday.

Sean Murphy, deputy assistant secretary of the Department of Social and Health Services, spoke about the new 350-bed forensic hospital serving criminal court system patients who need mental health restoration treatment.

“What I can say is that, yes, we’re absolutely on scope, on schedule, on budget with the new hospital,” he said at a Nov. 6 news conference. “And that hasn’t come without a lot of challenges.”

Several old buildings on the state-run psychiatric hospital campus in Lakewood, including a 99-year-old defunct chapel, were demolished to clear space for the new facility, as previously reported by The News Tribune. The project was s