Regional Center of Excellence for Transplantation & Kidney Care

Owner: Erie County Medical Center

Project Value: $51 million

Completed: February 2014

Architect: Kideney Architects, PC

Size: 100,000 sq. ft.

Our team members worked on the Regional Center of Excellence (COE) for Transplantation & Kidney Care at Erie County Medical Center. The project consisted of a new 4-story, 100,000 sq. ft. freestanding building. The building’s ground floor (25,000 sq. ft. of space) included 36 dialysis stations, large waiting room, reception area, outpatient education and community outreach offices, among several other components. The remaining 1st-3rd floors were designed for medical office and surgical space. This project also includes a new generator room and load center C, which transfers power to the COE, Long-Term Care, the parking garage and future buildings the hospital may design.

From the beginning, this project was set for a fast-track schedule in order to meet the HEAL NY (Health Care Efficiency and Affordability Law for New Yorkers) grant deadline. However managing this schedule came several challenges. The crew would have to be finished and the facility open three weeks ahead of schedule.

Harsh winter conditions caused issues right from the beginning, as well as encountering bedrock 3 ft. below the surface. Our team coordinated foundation work around the hospital and staff schedules, while breaking through the rock. In all, we were able to accommodate the hospital and work various hours and weekends to stay on schedule. At the tail end of the project, we had contractors working 20 hours a day, 7 days a week in order to meet the schedule and turnover goals.

Phase I included the core and shell, as well as the ground floor fit-out, completed in January 2012. The second phase included the first-floor fit-out, which wrapped up in December 2013, and the second floor fit-out, which was finished in February 2014. The final phase was completed in April 2014 when the third-floor fit-out was finalized. All deadlines, set by the owner for each phase, were met successfully for this fast-track project.