Indianapolis, December 1, 2009 – The new Wishard Hospital construction project moves forward today with the release of the first construction bid package, which includes a 2,300-car parking garage.
“We are very pleased with the progress we’ve made over the past four weeks and excited to enter this important stage in building a new Wishard,” said Matthew Gutwein, president and CEO of Health and Hospital Corporation of Marion County. “Our team was fully prepared and began immediately upon passage of the referendum to execute our plan to build an efficient and cost-effective new hospital.”
Wishard will construct the six-level parking garage as the first of five buildings at the new site. The parking garage will have three entrances and three stair/elevator towers and will stand on the west side of the new Wishard campus. The garage will accommodate Wishard employees and visitors to the new hospital, as well as provide parking for the Richard L. Roudebush VA Hospital. Wishard’s development will also create an additional 1,500 surface parking spaces upon completion.
“We recognize parking is at a premium in this area and are working with IUPUI to minimize the impact on parking through the construction phase,” said Dr. Lisa Harris, Wishard Health Services CEO and medical director. “The garage will go up first to alleviate the impact of construction on parking and ultimately accommodate Wishard’s parking needs.”
The bid package also includes a utility tunnel running under the garage, on and off-site utilities and rough grading for the new hospital and portions of the site. Off-site utilities will include high-pressure steam and fiber optics along with underground electric system extension and modification of site drainage.
Wishard published the request for bids today. Bids are due on Jan. 11. Wishard will host a pre-bid meeting and MBE/WBE workshop on Dec. 17 at Wishard Hospital. The meeting and workshop will include a visit to the new site, contractor outreach and networking and information regarding minority-owned and woman-owned business enterprise goals and attainment strategies.
“We take a great deal of pride in maintaining a strong commitment to diversity,” Gutwein said. “We are inviting local businesses that are owned by minorities, women, veterans and people with disabilities to participate in a workshop on Dec. 17 to learn about the specific needs for this construction project and introduce general contractors to these businesses.”
The hospital building project will create more than 4,400 jobs at the height of construction, providing a much-needed shot in the arm to the local building trades industry. In 2010, the garage and demolition work are projected to generate a total of 315 jobs, and in 2011, the garage will create 524 jobs. The garage package and demolition work will provide an estimated economic impact to Marion County of nearly $28 million in 2010, and more than $46.5 million in 2011.
“When voters passed the Wishard referendum, they voted not only for a healthier Indianapolis but also for a healthier local economy,” said Indianapolis Mayor Gregory A. Ballard. “The construction of this garage will generate hundreds of jobs for local workers, and I congratulate the Wishard team for getting this building project started so quickly.”
The garage will stand immediately adjacent to the new hospital to maximize convenience and accessibility for patients, visitors and staff. The garage will eventually connect to the main level of the ambulatory clinic building and the second level of the administrative office building.
The facility will primarily feature flat levels, instead of the more common inclined levels, to better accommodate individuals with mobility challenges. The garage will also contain an open core to enhance customer orientation and to provide natural light and ventilation, part of its environmentally friendly design. Each floor of the garage has a footprint of 240 feet by 609 feet, which is equivalent to the square footage of three football fields. The six levels of the parking structure will provide equivalent square footage of 18 football fields.
On-site work began immediately following the Nov. 3 election, as officials from Wishard and Indiana University signed the land exchange swap the next day, arranging for the transfer of the current Wishard site to Indiana University and the new site to Wishard.
The physical work of the project began immediately as well, with asbestos remediation and interior demolition inside the former Larue D. Carter Hospital. By the end of this year, the interiordemolition of the Larue D. Carter Hospital will conclude, and interior demolition and asbestos remediation will begin in the Indiana State Department of Health building. External demolition of Larue D. Carter Hospital starts near the first of the year, and demolition of both buildings wraps up in late spring 2010.
Wishard will break ground on the hospital in spring 2010. Wishard will construct the new hospital in phases, beginning with the parking garage, and plans to complete the project at the end of 2013.
For more information about Wishard Health Services, visit www.Wishard.edu. To learn more about the construction project, visit www.WishardFacts.org.
