GREELEY, Colo. (Dec. 19, 2017) – Tuesday morning, about nine months after construction crews started working on the UCHealth Greeley Campus, they celebrated a major milestone.
Many of them, along with others who have had a hand in building the project that will include a new full-service hospital and medical center, signed their names on a metal beam that was adorned with the traditional Christmas tree and American flag. The beam was then carefully raised and installed in one of the tallest spots of the hospital structure – part of the iconic arc element that has become part of the UCHealth’s architectural identity.
Jason Oltman, senior project manager at JE Dunn, the general contractor for the campus project, explained to about 350 craftsmen and visitors who gathered Tuesday that the topping-out ceremony is a longstanding construction tradition that honors the hard work of the crews and their commitment to safety.
“Your passion, your hard work and your diligence impress me every day. … In today’s era of budgets, schedules, production and metrics, the most important measure is that each and every one of you go home every day,” he said to a crowd full of people who have been working on the project. “Thank you all for all of your hard work.”
Crews have been building the campus southwest of the intersection of U.S. 34 and 65th Avenue since late spring when they started moving dirt. Construction is expected to continue throughout 2018. UCHealth officials anticipate the hospital will open in early 2019.
Marilyn Schock, president of UCHealth Greeley Hospital, applauded the work that the crews have done so far and emphasized they are building a legacy that will improve lives in Greeley and Weld County for generations to come. “When you are old and gray and you get to drive by the hospital, you’ll get to say ‘I helped build that.’ ” she said, adding that it will be a great healing place.
Spanning approximately 200,000 square feet, UCHealth Greeley Hospital will include 53 inpatient beds with room to grow. It will include a birth center, intensive care unit, operating and endoscopy rooms, a Level III trauma center and an emergency department.
The new UCHealth Greeley Medical Center will be a 112,500-square-foot outpatient medical center that will bring many of the services UCHealth offers at locations throughout Greeley under one convenient roof. It will include primary care services, specialty clinics, diagnostics, pharmacy, endoscopy, oncology services, imaging and laboratory services.
The UCHealth Greeley Campus will have a great impact on the health of residents through the many new services that will be offered. It also will have a positive impact on the Greeley and Weld County economies as well. More than 1,000 workers will be involved in building the campus. More than 300 new, permanent jobs will be created when the hospital opens.
JE Dunn is supported by BSA LifeStructures, architect; BHA Design Incorporated, landscape architect; Affiliated Engineers Inc., mechanical, electrical and plumbing; Martin/Martin, civil engineer; Stewart Engineering, structural engineer; and Gallun Snow, finishing design/finishes.
UCHealth already operates nine hospitals throughout Colorado, including Poudre Valley Hospital in Fort Collins, Medical Center of the Rockies in Loveland and Longs Peak Hospital in Longmont.
BY THE NUMBERS
- 8,566 cubic yards – The amount concrete that will be used in the project.
- 1,840 tons – The amount of structural steel that will be used in the project.
- 160,000 feet – The amount of pipe that will be used in the project.
- 300 – Approximate number of new, permanent jobs that will be created with the hospital opens.
- 1,000 – Approximate number of people who will be working on construction of the campus throughout the course of the project.