Share
Jacobsen has been selected by University of Utah Health Care (UUHC) to partner on three related projects that will transform the heart of its Health Sciences Center (HSC) campus — including the construction of a $75 million Ambulatory Administration Complex (AAC).
“This is a career-defining opportunity for our team, and for our entire company,” said Jacobsen’s President Doug Welling. “We’re grateful to the U of U for entrusting us with such a monumental endeavor.”
Complex may be an understatement. For nearly a decade the U has been working and reworking the Campus Master Plan (unveiled in 2008, revised in 2013) in an effort to align the HSC into distinct, functioning areas based on its three-pronged mission: Research, academia and clinical operations. Several major studies have also been conducted in recent years in an effort to ensure that, once a construction team is selected, it can achieve the U of U’s objective: To transform the HSC into a “hub of innovation, training and research that will serve as the new model of university health systems nationwide.” Projected construction estimates for the transformation currently total $238 million.
“The HSC vision is amazing, and achieving it will require a tremendous effort. Jacobsen is more than up to the task,” explained Jacobsen’s COO John Fortuna. “I’ve been privileged to work with the University for many years on many projects; I’m thrilled at the prospect of helping my colleagues and friends at the U realize their vision.”
The task at hand is multi-faceted. Jacobsen will provide preconstruction services for three new landmark buildings: A Medical Education and Discovery Building, a new Rehabilitation Hospital and the six-story AAC, which we will also be constructing. When completed in the spring of 2018, the AAC will house clinics, outpatient surgery suites, faculty offices, a loading dock and support services.
“In its current state, the HSC is a very delicate ecosystem,” said Blake Court, project executive and team leader for Jacobsen. “There are thousands of factors — and people — that will be impacted and must be carefully considered. This transformation is as complex as it is significant, and we’re excited to help the U find their way through it successfully.”