Keesler Medical Center--Demolition clears way for inpatient tower construction Published March 4, 2009 By Steve Pivnick 81st Medical Group Public Affairs KEESLER AIR FORCE BASE, BILOXI, MISS. -- Demolition projects are underway that will change the appearance of Keesler Medical Center and an adjacent area. According to James Martin, Air Force Civil Engineering Support Agency Katrina Recovery project manager, demolition of the old chiller plant, across the street from the Emergency Department, began Feb. 10. Sauer, Inc., out of their Jacksonville, Fla., regional office, is the prime contractor for this project under the central energy plant contract. This work is expected to take four to six weeks. Due to this project, parking on J Street, from Third Street to the Medical Logistics warehouse loading docks on Fifth Street has been eliminated. This includes the parking area east of radiation therapy and all parking on the south side of J Street. During the same period, Carothers Construction of Water Valley, Miss., will begin demolishing the D-2 portion of the medical center, located on the northeast corner of the facility. Carothers Construction is also the prime contractor for the diagnostic imaging center being constructed on the west side of medical center. For the first three to four weeks, contractors have been involved with abatement work to remove potentially dangerous materials, such as asbestos-containing materials or lead-based painted components, identified during various surveys. Mr. Martin explained once the abatement is completed, heavy equipment will move in and start the actual demolition. He added that after Sauer completes the chiller plant work, the steam plant should be ready for demolition, which is expected to take four to six weeks. Carothers Construction will then create a new parking lot in the cleared demolition site. "Following the D-2 demolition, Carothers Construction will start the abatement and demolition of the "D" tower," Mr. Martin continued. Once radiation therapy moves from its current location in the medical center basement to its new building in mid-July, that area of the basement will be demolished. After the three areas of the medical center have been cleared, construction of the new inpatient Tower can begin. This four-story structure was authorized under the last round of Base Realignment and Closure Commission decisions and legislation in 2005. Current plans call for construction to begin in August to meet the required occupation date of October 2011. "During the tower construction, the entire northeast quadrant of the hospital will be designated a construction area. Again, no parking will be permitted on J Street from the north emergency room ambulance access way eastward to the logistics loading docks on Fifth Street. Only fire department and construction equipment will be allowed in this area," Mr. Martin noted. Keesler Medical Center's $68 million inpatient tower will be a four-story addition located on the northeast corner of the present structure. The emergency department will relocate to the first floor of the new structure. Central sterile supply also will be on the first level and will be convenient to the surgery suites above. Stairs and front- and back-opening elevators will provide access to the first floor of the existing building half a floor up. This will allow access to the diagnostic imaging department as well as a half floor down for connection to the remaining basement activities such as medical logistics and the cafeteria. The second floor will include surgery and the vath Lab, which will be relocated from within the current diagnostic imaging department. A visitors' area, separated from the surgery areas, will be located on the southwest side. A 24-bed medical-surgical unit will occupy the entire third floor. Since the new third floor will be slightly above the existing third floor, a ramped corridor will link the new and existing buildings. This will be in addition to the primary elevators. The fourth floor will contain another 24-bed medical-surgical unit, nearly identical to the third-floor unit. The only difference is this level won't have a direct connection to the existing building. Mechanical space will be located in an enclosed penthouse above this floor.