Fall 2004 Newsletter

“McCarthy's DEDICATION to developing a team atmosphere between the University and construction crew, as well as their focus on site safety, enabld McCarthy to deliver a cost-effective facility within the designated budget and timeframe.”

— Jill Tomczyk, associate project manager, Department of Architects & Engineers, University of California, Davis

McCarthy recently completed the Activities and Recreation Center (ARC) at the University of California, Davis. The facility combines a variety of different uses, supporting the latest trends in student activity and recreation. Built with a recordable incident of zero, the facility totals 155,000 square feet and houses a conference center, student union, fitness club, as well as other amenities. Total construction cost for the project was approximately $31 million. The ARC has large windows that fill the interior with natural light, an arcing roof over the main entrance and a bridge linking to the existing Recreation Hall. The center's sports and fitness area includes a rubberized jogging track on the upper floor, basketball courts, which are convertible to volleyball and badminton courts, multi-use courts, weights/aerobics equipment, group fitness rooms, a climbing wall, and lockers/showers. The activity zone contains a large ballroom, meeting rooms, a café, offices for student clubs, and a lounge area. ARCHITECT: Cannon Design, Westwood, Calif.

“We hired McCarthy to build this project because we have worked with them for over ten years on various projects in Southern California, one of which was the LARGEST CONSTRUCTION PROJECT ever undertaken by Kaiser Permanente.”

— Jerry McCall, senior vice president/service area manager, Tri-Central Service Area, Kaiser Permanente — Southern California Region

Construction is underway on Kaiser Permanente's new 1,002,528-square-foot Downey Medical Center and parking structure addition in Downey, Calif., one of the largest construction projects ever undertaken by the healthcare organization. “The project is currently ahead of schedule and the dedicated teamwork of all parties involved makes this possible” said McCarthy Director Jake Jones. The new facility will replace the hospital portion of the existing Kaiser Permanente Bellflower Medical Center, which will be converted to an outpatient facility. Being built in accordance with Senate Bill 1953 seismic requirements, the 352-bed, full-service hospital will include inpatient and outpatient services and will house 82 departments as well as an 85-room emergency department. “We are building this facility primarily to meet the health needs of our growing membership in Southeast Los Angeles County,” explained Kaiser Permanente's Jerry McCall. “The seismic building requirements, as well as evolving technology required us to replace our existing Bellflower facility with one that will meet the future healthcare needs of patients.” ARCHITECT: Bob Hoskins, HMC Architects, Ontario, Calif.

“We have been VERY PLEASED with the work of mcCarthy during the construction of our cleanroom. Their project managers worked closely with us to be sure that the room was suited to the needs of the researchers who will be the users of this facility.”

— Dr. Daniel Mittleman, associate professor, Rice University

McCarthy recently completed a 3,000-square-foot renovation/remodeling project at Rice University in Houston, creating the Rice University Nanofabrication/Cleanroom Lab Facility in Abercrombie. This project is one of three nanotech construction projects McCarthy has underway nationwide, with work at Cornell University and the University of California, Berkeley, also underway. The new Rice facility, comprised of Class 100 and Class 1000 cleanrooms, office, and lab support space, will provide researchers with the clean-air environment needed to study minute mechanisms the size of only a few atoms. McCarthy creatively managed cleanroom construction processes, minimizing building occupant disruption by performing noise-producing activities after hours and on weekends. Due to limited storage on site, many materials were pre-fabricated off-site, and then transported to the job site immediately prior to installation. ARCHITECT: Lockwood Greene

“McCarthy has a LONG-STANDING REPUTATION in building parking garages and we look forward to working with them to meet our city's growing parking needs.”

— Robb Wood, assistant public works manager, city of Fresno

With downtown Fresno, continuing to flourish and the Fresno Convention & Entertainment Center prospering as the venue of exciting events, the city of Fresno recently awarded McCarthy its $19.5 million parking garage, totaling five-stories and 568,900 square feet. Doubling the city's current downtown parking capacity, the garage will house 1,500 full-sized parking spaces and be equipped with security cameras, emergency call stations, parking control equipment and bicycle racks. Scheduled for completion in June 2005, McCarthy is using an expedited construction process to complete the project within a year. “This project is more than just the construction of a new parking garage. It is significant because it is a true reflection of the downtown area's growth. The structure will provide much needed parking for the new federal courthouse, Selland Arena and the convention center, as well as future downtown developments,” said Robb Wood, assistant public works manager, city of Fresno. ARCHITECT: Watry Design, Redwood City, Calif.

“We faced some SIGNIFICANT CHALLENGES that no one could have foreseen, yet I never heard McCarthy's staff complain or offer excuses. They simply weathered them and beat them.”

— Doug Novak, project manager, design-construction, Universal Health Service, Inc.

Built to satisfy the rapidly-growing needs of Sarasota and Bradenton counties, the $31 million Lakewood Ranch Medical Center admits its first patients on September 1. Three feet of structural fill over the site's 180,000-sf footprint needed to be placed and graded before construction began, and when it was the area was hit with 52 inches of rain during a critical 3-month timeframe (which also made dry-in of the facility a significant challenge.) “I was struck by McCarthy's organizational skills… meetings were brief, smooth and decision packed, with little wasted time,” said Universal Health's Doug Novak. The 3-story, 120 bed facility houses a women's center with labor/delivery rooms, ER and intensive care units, and a surgery center with five OR suites. Lakewood is the second healthcare facility built by McCarthy for client Universal Health Services, Inc. ARCHITECT: HKS. Inc., Dallas.

“Ultimately, we choose McCarthy because their culture of openness, fairness and a HIGH LEVEL OF ETHICS best matched our own.”

— Terry muldoon, vice president, Saint John's Health Cente

McCarthy soon begins site work on the $137.6 million Keck Diagnostic and Treatment Center at Saint John's Health Center. The project is unique in that McCarthy will be tying the Keck Center (which will be built using base-isolation technology to mitigate the effects of a seismic event) into an existing adjacent structure that is also base isolated. “Throughout the decision process, McCarthy's actual project team, not their business development personnel, worked through issues with our team. That early involvement has made a significant difference,” said Saint John's Terry Muldoon. The site for the 275,000-square-foot, 4-story tower (with two basement levels) is surrounded on all four sides by existing hospital facilities (there are zero laydown areas) making just-in-time deliveries and communications with all levels of the hospital's staff of primary importance. ARCHITECT: SJAA (a joint venture of Hellmuth, Obata & Kassabaum, Inc., Culver City, Calif. and SmithGroup, Los Angeles.

“We were faced with having to move the main brain for the entire casino with minimal impact to daily operations. Given the complexity of the task, we have been extremely pleased with McCarthy's thorough, PROACTIVE APPROACH and attention to detail.”

— Garrett Byrd, vice president of design and construction, The Venetian

Boasting more than 4,049 hotel suites, The Venetian is one of the largest hotels in the United States. Maintaining a sprawling Las Vegas mega resort is no easy task. Consider the main electrical room — a complex myriad of wires and switches — each playing a vital role in ensuring the smooth flow of the property's operation. Faced with the challenge of relocating the casino's main electrical and communication rooms to make way for a new baccarat salon, McCarthy completed a delicate expansion and renovation that included the construction of a new 1,000-square foot mezzanine area to house the electrical, communication and security. The new baccarat salon consists of three upscale gaming parlors, two lounges, and restroom facilities. The 7,700-square-foot expansion involved technical and precise installation of delicate and detailed millwork, molding and appliqués, requiring a perfect fit. To accomplish the expansion, McCarthy removed several existing administrative rooms, pushed out an existing hallway wall six feet and raised the concrete floor 16". ARCHITECT: Leo A Daly, Las Vegas.

“The PRECISE COORDINATION of the McCarthy team allowed the hospital to seamlessly continue operating and caring for patients throughout the expansion project.”

— Jim Jeppson, vice pesident of administration, Presbyterian Hospital

McCarthy has completed a major vertical expansion of Presbyterian Hospital in Albuquerque. The $45 million project — a joint venture between McCarthy's Southwest and Midwest divisions — involved a three-story expansion on top of the hospital's existing four-story east wing, as well as utility infrastructure improvements and seismic upgrades. “Presbyterian is the largest acute care hospital in New Mexico, so patient comfort and minimal disruptions were of utmost importance. McCarthy ensured that this also was a priority for them,” said Jim Jeppson, vice president of administration for the hospital. To manage such tasks as raising a bank of four elevators, re-routing exhaust fans and plumbing, and tying into the existing medical gas system, McCarthy actively worked and communicated with hospital staff. Much of the work was completed during non-peak hours of operation. The expansion adds 160,000 square feet of space to house pediatric intensive care, neonatal intensive care, cardiac, and labor and delivery units. Architect: Dekker Perich Sabatini, Albuquerque. ARCHITECT: Dekker Perich Sabatini, Albuquerque.