Trades building colorful-kid friendly hospital in Troy
Date Posted: February 20 2015
The Detroit Medical Center's $42 million project, under construction at 350 W. Big Beaver just east of I-75, will encompass three stories and 63,000 square feet. Key services in the new outpatient facility will include a 24-7 pediatric emergency room, day surgery and multiple pediatric medical and surgical specialties especially for children, including cancer and infusion therapy, cardiology, neurology, orthopedics, urology, imaging and lab services.
“Having a sick, injured or chronically-ill child is not easy for the child or parents, and may often mean frequent visits for emergency care, outpatient surgery and consultations with pediatric specialists," said Larry Gold, CEO of the Children's Hospital of Michigan. "Having Children's Hospital of Michigan services like these located closer to home for so many of the patients we serve will help make the lives of many families just a bit easier.”
About 50 building trades workers are currently employed on the project, and the workforce will peak out at 80-90. Christman is acting as the construction manager, and their onsite team is led by Vice President John O’Toole, Project Executive Jeff Tomczak, Senior Project Manager Steve Busen, Project Supt. Brian Crumm and Project Engineer Mike Busterna.
“The building was designed to maximize every square foot of space," Crumm said. "Each floor has a footprint of approximately 20,000 square feet, and when considering the extensive mechanical, engineering and plumbing systems that are required for a fully functional Children’s Specialty Center there is the potential to have the trades unproductively working on top of each other."
He said daily coordination meetings are held with all foremen to make sure that each system is being installed in the required order. "This is not a project where one trade can run wild with their installations and bury the other trades," Crumm said. "Each system has to be installed in conjunction with each other. This has created a great work environment among the trades."
The fast-track project is on course to be completed in 13 months. With a Sept. 2 groundbreaking, that meant moving quickly to get the structural steel up in November and getting the building enclosed for the winter. "We're hitting all of our milestone dates so far," Crumm said, in good part due to what he termed a "very well-built" tarp system that's keeping the winter weather out and the temporary heat inside the structure.
Built on the grounds of a demolished building held by an architectural firm, the new Children's Hospital of Michigan-Troy, David K. Page Building is named after a late, long-time hospital board member. The facility, which will create 100 full-time jobs, will be designed just for children and bring Children's Hospital of Michigan services closer to home for Oakland County families. While many hospitals combine adult and pediatric care in the same setting, this new location will focus entirely on children and what appeals to them. It will include bright colors and vibrant shapes and design elements that send the message that this is a special place for children to feel better.
"Most of what we're doing here is standard construction, but it's really a mini-hospital," Crumm said, "with 24-7 emergency, radiology, two operating rooms, and a specialty clinic. There's a lot going on in a short amount of time. When we're done it's going to be a bright, colorful place; a very inviting place for kids."THE EXTERIOR of the new DMC Children’s Hospital of Michigan-Troy will have a colorful, Lego-like appearance as shown in this rendering, with the use of glazed, multicolored brick on the exterior.
THE NEW HOSPITAL’S exterior is currently nicely sheathed to retain heat and allow the trades to work through the winter under a fast-track schedule.
LEVELING OUT vent piping on the third floor of the hospital is Kelan Pond of Plumbers Local 98. He’s employed by John E. Green.