Bids will be opened at 5 p.m. today for a new $2.2 million emergency medical services building to be built along the west side of Highway 525 near Bayview Road.

There will be a special meeting of the Whidbey General Hospital board at 1 p.m. in Coupeville on Thursday to announce the winner, said Trish Rose, spokeswoman for Whidbey General Hospital.

The 4,500-square-foot structure will feature broad planes, prominent visibility and natural wood siding, and will reflect the rural character of nearby farms, according to designers Mahlum Architects. Vehicle bays will face the highway.

The building will accommodate six people, and is expected to be completed next spring.

The project is being funded by the September 2006 ballot measure, Rose said.