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Pitt County health director updates Bethel board on Pit Stop renovation; services to phase in this spring and summer
Summary
Pitt County Health Director Wes Gray updated the board on renovation progress at the Pit Stop building; county provided $300,000, contractors were selected, and additional grants (NCDIT Digital Champions and NC Alliance public health funds) will support telehealth and a dental suite with phased service rollout anticipated this summer.
Wes Gray, health director for Pitt County, told the Bethel Town Board that renovation work on the former police station (the “Pit Stop”) is underway and will be brought into service in phases beginning this spring and expanding through the summer.
Gray said the Pitt County Board of Commissioners previously approved $300,000 for the renovation. Construction work awarded to Unshakable Builders (approximately $250,000 of the county allocation after earlier abatement and reserve costs) began with demolition and interior rebuild in late 2024. "In October 2023, my first day on the job, the board of commissioners approved $300,000 for renovations for the site here in Bethel," Gray said.
Gray outlined facility plans that include an activity room, clinic lobby, two telehealth rooms, three exam rooms, a lab and a dental suite with a sterilization room. He said the county has obtained $398,000 from the NCDIT Digital Champions grant (for telehealth equipment) and a recent $30,000 strategic initiatives award to help outfit the dental suite; a pending Office of Rural Health telehealth grant may provide additional support.
Gray said the county had awarded contracts for abatement and construction and was waiting on vendor quotes for AV and connectivity, and on a quote from the dental provider for the dental suite. He said partners expected to include health department services, WIC, social services, Physicians East, ECU Health, Pitt County Schools and visiting dentists on scheduled days.
Board members asked about the sealed evidence room in the back of the building; Gray said access will remain controlled while the town and sheriff’s office coordinate with the courts to determine retention or disposal of stored case materials. Gray recommended a phased opening—clinical partners first, then expanded services as partners and equipment are in place.
Gray said officials hoped to hold a ribbon‑cutting later in spring or early summer once construction and partner schedules allowed for public viewing.
No formal board vote was required; the presentation served as an informational update and request to continue coordination with county partners.
