TEMPLE TERRACE, Fla.—Cullinan Properties is pleased to announce that the James A. Haley Veterans’ Hospital hosted a ribbon cutting ceremony for the new Tampa VA Mental Health Center in Temple Terrace on Friday, January 19. The ribbon-cutting ceremony completes the construction project that consolidates multiple mental health programs into one 150,000-square-foot facility in Temple Terrace.

Stephanie Webster, Senior Vice President, Director of Development for Cullinan Properties, expressed pride in the completion of the VA clinic project, stating, “The Cullinan team and our partners on this project worked tirelessly to deliver this project on time and within budget. We were honored to be the team selected to deliver this state-of-the-art facility.”

The project team included architecture and design firm Leo A. Daly; general contractor Hoar Construction; civil engineer Prosser; and property management firm Lincoln Harris CSG.

Services provided include a full range of outpatient mental health consultation services along with focused mental health therapy, substance abuse treatment, mental health intensive case management, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) treatment, and employment and peer support services.  Domiciliary programs are also provided through the clinic.  These programs provide a safe, secure, therapeutic, home-like environment designed to facilitate attainment of each patient’s optimal level of functional independence through active participation in individual treatment plans.

The 150,000-square-foot project began construction in 2021 and is located in Hillsborough County at the SW quadrant of Temple Terrace Highway and Davis Road, the new two-story facility is conveniently situated near I-75 and accessed from Hwy 301. The site consists of approximately 20 acres of land. Several outdoor elements including gardens, courtyards and walking paths for patients, guests and employees complement the structure.

Cullinan Properties’ Chairman and Founding Partner Diane Cullinan Oberhelman stated, “This project has been an honor for our entire team.  We hold closely the sacrifice our veterans have made and what better way for our team to honor them by providing health and mental health facilities nationwide to care for them.”

Michael C. Owens, Finance, Healthcare & Government Advisor for Cullinan Properties added, “The opening of the Tampa VA Mental Health Center adds to Cullinan’s growing list of development projects in the healthcare and government sectors.”

Attendees at the Ribbon Cutting included David Dunning, Executive Director, James A. Haley Veterans’ Hospital, Rob Miller, Deputy Regional Commissioner R4 PBS – GSA, Dr. Glenn Smith, former Section Chief, James A. Haley Veterans’ Hospital, and Dr. Michael D. Brennan, Executive Director, Construction and Facilities Management, U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. Also in attendance were Temple Terrace Mayor Andy Ross, City of Temple Terrace and Hillsborough County officials and congressional staff members.

Project developer, Cullinan Properties, has more than 35 years of commercial mixed-use, governmental, multifamily, and medical office development experience.  The company has specific experience working with the Department of Veterans Affairs having developed the 275,000-square-foot Austin VA Outpatient Clinic located in Austin, Texas, which opened in 2013. Cullinan also developed the 21,000 SF McLean County VA Outpatient Clinic in Bloomington, Ill. and Peoria VET Center in Peoria, Ill.

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BIRMINGHAM, Ala.—Hoar Construction announced on Feb. 20 the completion of a new inpatient cardiovascular unit at Shelby Baptist Medical Center in Alabaster, Alabama near Birmingham. The $4.5 million project broke ground in May of 2022 and welcomed its first patients in February.

Located on the hospital’s second floor, the 11,000-square-foot unit includes six critical care rooms, eight step-down rooms and three nurses’ stations, allowing the hospital to provide intensive and step-down care for cardiac patients within the same floor. It is now integrated with the ICU unit, allowing cardiac patients to move from surgery and immediately into their rooms, which gives doctors more flexibility in providing the best care for their patients. The unit also features an attractive modern design with larger patient rooms that are all equipped with advanced medical technology.

“We are proud to deliver this project to the dedicated team of healthcare professionals at Shelby Baptist, as this new unit is sure to improve the level of patient care offered in Alabaster and greatly enhance the hospital’s offerings,” said Owen Moore, director of business development Hoar Construction. “Hoar is committed to expanding its reach and abilities in all sectors of healthcare and we are honored to play a part in the hospital’s growth, which now eliminates the need for patients to travel to downtown Birmingham for high-quality care. We look forward to continuing our valuable relationship with Brookwood Baptist Health network, which continues to drive positive and meaningful change throughout Birmingham’s healthcare landscape.”

Throughout construction, Hoar encountered multiple unforeseen conditions within the 60-year-old facility. The project team, along with their design partner Poole and Company, had to develop creative solutions and implement them without interrupting ongoing operations at the hospital. Rigorous infection control protocols were also used during every phase of the buildout to ensure the safety of hospital staff and patients.

Shelby Baptist is one of five hospitals in the Brookwood Baptist Health hospital network based out of Birmingham. Hoar has worked as a partner with Brookwood Baptist for 20+ years, with the completion of Shelby Baptist’s cardiovascular unit marking the latest continuation of this successful relationship.

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SAN ANGELO, Texas—Hoar Construction announced recently the expansion of the west bed tower at Shannon Medical Center in San Angelo, Texas, a key component of a broader, multi-million-dollar capital improvement program that is helping to modernize and expand healthcare services for the residents of San Angelo and surrounding communities. The project recently broke ground and is expected to be completed in Summer 2024. Construction of the bed tower marks the first time a tower crane has been used for a project within San Angelo’s city limits.

The seven-story, bed tower is an expansion of the existing 1,536,000-square-foot hospital located on East Harris Avenue in downtown San Angelo. Construction consists of three floors of concrete parking garage underneath four floors of patient care space. On the third floor will be an 19,310-square-foot Intensive Care Unit (ICU), the fourth floor will be patient rooms and the fifth and sixth floors will have shell spaces to be built out in the future.

“This project will further enhance the healthcare offerings in San Angelo and elevate Shannon Medical Center’s ability to provide top-quality care and services to a much larger pool of local patients,” said Bradley Barr, senior superintendent at Hoar. “The hospital is at 100% capacity for the majority of the year, which necessitates detailed planning and coordination to ensure that daily operations which are vital to patient care are not impaired in any way. Hoar’s proven track record and expertise in managing major hospital expansions and renovations, along with our strong local ties and understanding of the community, will ensure we deliver a facility of the highest quality for the patients and staff of SMC.”

Approximately 8,609 cubic yards of concrete will be used for the project, along with 790 tons of rebar.

The project will also incorporate elements of modular construction, with 40 bathrooms being assembled in an off-site warehouse in New Braunfels. Once complete, the bathroom pods will be shipped directly to the job site for easy installation, saving the project a significant amount of time.

The 168-foot-high crane first appeared on site early January and will continue to aid in construction until the concrete structure is completed.

“As a native of San Angelo, it’s been personally rewarding to play a part in the continued expansion of Shannon Medical Center,” said Garrett Wheat, project manager at Hoar. “There’s been a lot of excitement and anticipation around town about the crane, which will add a compelling feature to our skyline. Hoar is proud to invest our resources in this community and will continue to take an active role in building facilities that will add value and make a lasting impact for the generations to come.”

In February 2020, after more than 20 unique phases of construction, Hoar completed the east bed tower expansion and renovation project at Shannon Medical Center, which also spanned 7 stories and included an 8,000-square-foot ICU and 26,000 square feet of interior renovations. In both projects, strategic techniques were used in the initial planning stages to maximize efficiency, cut costs and ensure patient and staff safety throughout construction.

Additional project partners include O’Connell Robertson as the architect and MEP engineer and Datum Engineers as the structural engineer.

Hoar Construction has established itself as one of America’s leading healthcare builders, completing over $335 million in healthcare projects over the past 10 years. Within Texas, Hoar has also served as the general contractor on a 72-bed pediatric hospital expansion associated with the Dell Children’s Medical Center of Central Texas; the new 170,000 square-foot Uvalde Memorial Hospital in Uvalde, Texas; and the six-story patient tower and 35,000 square feet of renovations for Hendrick Medical Center in Abilene, Texas. They’ve also built rehabilitation hospitals at Shannon Medical Center and in Lubbock, Texas, and Hobbs, New Mexico, and have completed a previous expansion to Abilene Regional Medical Center.

Tower Crane FAQ:

This tower crane is 150-feet-tall to allow the 250-foot-long jib to safely swing over nearby buildings, and whistles are used as signals to notify workers and those nearby that a load is being carried overhead. Special fencing is in place to allow for deliveries to the crane and keep pedestrians safely out of the way. Once work with the crane is done for the day, it is put in “weather vane” mode, which is an additional safety measure to ensure excessive wind loads are not imposed on the vertical column.

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BIRMINGHAM, Ala.—Hoar Construction announced recently it is celebrating the 30th anniversary of the firm’s dedicated healthcare services, honoring its long-term success and industry impact over the past three decades after a challenging yet fruitful year in 2020 that resulted in over $150 million in total revenue.

As the firm’s healthcare services marks its 30th anniversary, Hoar Construction is highlighting three healthcare construction trends to watch that will help shape the year ahead; their expert insights follow below in full:

Combatting Supply Chain Shortages

While COVID-19 has ravaged supply chains and put a damper on the delivery of materials to construction sites, creative strategies have been implemented to help navigate these new hurdles. Last year the cost of lumber skyrocketed after a surge in demand caused a number of delays and setbacks among commercial projects throughout the country, while the price of steel began climbing after the holidays. These price hikes and shortages will affect the commercial real estate industry for the foreseeable future, placing an increased emphasis on preplanning and preconstruction. Placing bulk material orders well ahead of groundbreaking and utilizing the right technology to track material prices and availability in real-time can help mitigate the impact of shortages and delays that threaten to derail critical healthcare projects.

Hoar recently saw the benefits of preplanning and preconstruction to combat unforeseen challenges during its work for the Studer Family Children’s Hospital at Sacred Heart in Pensacola, Florida. The project teams lost 137 days due to hurricanes and 14 feet of heavy rain, but still managed to top out two months early due to the use of preplanning with 3D modeling and prefabrication on MEP racks, storm piping, doors and headwalls. Utilizing advanced technology and modular construction allowed Hoar to get the job done faster than originally planned, despite operating under less than ideal conditions.

Evolution of Modular Construction

The use of modular construction has become more prevalent throughout the past year as the need for creative workarounds rises on job sites that may be constrained by local health regulations and limited labor availability. Prefabrication is a practice that Hoar is very familiar with and believes will continue to be utilized by multiple sectors within the AEC industry. Even before the onset of the pandemic, modular construction was starting to pick up in popularity among clients due to its ability to mitigate new challenges spurred by the pandemic.

Recent projects in which Hoar has implemented these practices include the upcoming construction of the fourth bed tower at Dell Children’s Medical Center in Austin, Texas. After onboarding key trade partners early, Hoar’s team identified several opportunities for prefabrication, including exterior wall panels, MEP racks, headwalls and bathroom pods before construction began. Typically, the estimated schedule from the time concrete is complete until the building is dried-in takes 4-5 months. By prefabricating exterior wall panels in advance and installing on-site, the team anticipates the new bed tower will be dried-in in approximately 20 days. Not only is time eliminated from the schedule, but the time the building would be exposed and vulnerable to weather is significantly less. Hoar anticipates continued innovation in modular strategies throughout 2021.

Advancements in Technology

Even with the economic slowdown in 2020, technology continues to evolve and provide new solutions to existing problems on construction sites. While construction companies have been forced to learn how to communicate and work together virtually since the implementation of social distancing, some of these methods will remain permanent after the pandemic subsides. Hoar’s healthcare team has utilized three virtual inspections through Microsoft Teams over the past year, which have proven to be just as efficient and easy to review and pass on material as an in-person inspection. The firm believes these virtual inspections will continue in the future, especially as inspectors become overloaded and seek more flexible and efficient methods to complete inspections while saving time and money on travel. Building Information Modeling (BIM) is another technological advancement that will rise in usage over the next few years as it continues to be an essential part of quality control for the entire construction process. Using these types of 3D models in addition to 2D models improves both the planning and communication efforts with trade partners while ensuring schedules remain on track.

As Hoar heads into this year, these three industry trends will be paramount as developers, architects and general contractors continue to adjust to a new playing field that presents both short- and long-term challenges. The world of construction evolves quickly, and the past year of adapting to unforeseen circumstances has helped birth new strategies and techniques that will benefit the entire industry.

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BIRMINGHAM, Ala.—Health care construction firm Hoar Construction has begun work on a brand-new veteran health and care center, to be located in Alabama’s largest city. The facility, to be called the Birmingham Veterans Affairs Medical Center, will focus primarily on the all-important area of veterans’ mental health.

Hoar is partnering with developer US Federal Properties Co. LLC of Kansas City, Mo., and architect Hoefer Wysocki of Leawood, Kan., on the project for America’s veterans, reported the Birmingham Business Journal.

The report said that the healthcare services that will be provided to veterans at the Birmingham Veterans Affairs Medical Center will include outpatient mental health care, outpatient group psychotherapy and psychiatry, intensive care management, “telehealth” programs, homeless support programs, as well as workshops and support personnel to aid in prevention of veteran suicide. The new facility will also have programs available to assist veterans who are dealing with post-traumatic stress disorder and substance abuse. Group psychotherapy sessions will also be offered at the medical operation.

The healthcare facility for veterans will offer these services in a facility designed specifically for mental health, which will feature 60,000 square feet of healthcare space all located under the same room.

The Business Journal quoted Hoar’s vice president for healthcare, Mark Hendricks, who said that the firm is proud to be able to construct a healthcare facility for veterans in the same city in which the general contracting firm is headquartered. The new clinic will allow thousands of veterans to access “services that previously weren’t available,” Hendricks said, and he made special emphasis on the importance of America’s veterans getting access to the mental health treatment options they need.

The Alabama business website AL.com reports that the $30 million, 60,000-square-foot clinic will likely serve 25,000 veterans per year at one centralized location when it opens, which will likely be sometime in the fall of 2021. Furthemore, when the facility opens next year at 7901 Crestwood Blvd., there will be parking spaces for about 450 vehicles.

Hoar, whose worldwide operations are based out of Birmingham, has been rather active in the Yellowhammer State when it comes to healthcare construction and operations. AL.com reports that in addition to the forthcoming Birmingham Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Hoar has also provided construction services for other healthcare facilities such as the Benjamin Russell Hospital for Children and Encompass Health Lakeshore Rehabilitation Hospital, both of which are also located in Birmingham. Other healthcare projects in Alabama include the Lakeshore Foundation campus master plan, Infirmary Health’s Saraland medical campus and the Russell Medical Total Healthcare and Urgent Care. Hoar has also provided contracting services for the University of South Alabama’s Fanny Meisler Trauma Center.

In total, their construction portfolio in the healthcare sector in 2019 topped $130 in Alabama.

Architecture firm Hoefer Wysocki’s healthcare portfolio also includes VA facilities in Phoenix, San Antonio and Chattanooga, Tennessee.

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WASHINGTON, D.C.—Healthcare construction company Hoar Construction, which is based in Birmingham, Ala., but also has offices in the capital region, has been providing free meals to hospital workers in the Washington, D.C., area, according to Tysons Reporter.

This resulted from a rather fortuitous partnership as Mike Dramby, Hoar Construction’s senior project manager, is based at the firm’s office in Tysons, Virginia, and has been lifelong friends with Bryce Yetso, the general manager of Clyde’s, a restaurant with several outlets throughout Virginia, Washington, D.C., and Maryland. The two jointly came up with the notion to provide meals to overburdened healthcare workers in the capital area, who have been battling the coronavirus pandemic.

According to the Tysons Reporter story, Dramby himself has worked for years on hospital construction for Hoar and was thus intimately familiar with the burdens facing healthcare workers, especially in the D.C. region.

Furthermore, because the Clyde’s chain was forced to lay off much of its workforce in light of the pandemic, Dramby and Yetso found a way to get some of those laid-off food service workers back on the job with their newfound focus on feeding healthcare workers. Given the two men’s long friendship and connections in the region, they were able to quickly mobilize the operation to feed as many healthcare workers as possible in a short time.

Hoar’s work on the project entailed fundraising and coordinating with the local hospitals for meal deliveries that had been prepared by Clyde’s staff, Tysons Reporter said, and also reported that Dramby’s coworkers at Hoar also contributed time, effort and fiscal muscle to the joint effort with the restaurant company.

The pair say they hope to soon expand the joint effort to other hospitals in the capital region.

Meanwhile, Hoar’s workload on healthcare construction hasn’t slowed during the pandemic. Tysons Reporter said that Hoar has actually been busier of late given that multiple hospitals and other healthcare facilities are adding wings and converting certain areas to specifically deal with coronavirus patients.

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The hospital features 65 private rooms and is designed to be energy efficient and promote green operations. The new hospital will replace the outdated Denison Parkway facility, built in the early 1900s.

“This project truly represents a new era in patient care for the residents of the region,” said Shirley Magana, president of the Hospital.

When open in summer of 2014, patients will benefit from an integrated campus designed for efficient delivery of quality care and increased outpatient services, according to officials.

The Guthrie Cancer Center Corning location will be on the first floor of the new hospital with a separate entrance for patients. The campus will also include an efficient emergency department with 18 treatment areas and an on-site helipad to quickly facilitate trauma patients or transfers.

Gilbane-Welliver is responsible for pre-construction and construction management services for the new hospital.

Hammes Co. will serve as the owner representative for the project with Gould Turner Group serving as the designer. Smith Seckman Reid Inc. (SSR), with Hunt Architecture, engineering and land surveyors, as the civil engineer, are responsible for the MEP engineering.

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