Clark Construction Breaks Ground on Western State Hospital New Forensic Hospital

Lakewood, WA – On October 17, Clark Construction Group joined Governor Jay Inslee and Secretary of the Department of Social and Health Services (DSHS) Jilma Meneses at a groundbreaking ceremony for the Western State Hospital New Forensic Hospital. Other notable guest speakers included Mark Thompson, chief executive officer of the Gage Center of Forensic Excellence, and Eric Olson, senior vice president and business unit leader of Clark’s Seattle region. 

Clark is building a 467,000-square-foot, 350-bed forensic behavioral health hospital for skilled psychiatric treatment in a secure, therapeutic setting. The scope also includes a 53,000-square-foot administrative building.

"We are honored to be a part of this important project and work with both DSHS and the Department of Enterprise Services to bring this new facility to fruition," said Clark Senior Vice President Eric Olson. "This project has the capability to transform the access to mental health in this region, and we can't wait to start the construction phase."

Work began in the spring of 2024, with the demolition of 11 existing outdated structures across 35 acres to prepare the site for vertical construction.   

Clark is the general contractor for this project, with HOK and architecture+ serving as the architects. KPFF is the structural and civil engineer, and Affiliated Engineers, Inc. (AEI) is the mechanical, electrical, and plumbing engineer. 

Project completion is slated for 2028.