The new Le Bonheur Children’s Medical Center reached its highest point in construction on Wednesday, April 8. A 10 a.m. topping out ceremony marked the construction milestone on the 610,000 square foot, $327 million facility. The event was also a celebration of the hospital’s efforts to become one of the countries’ first sustainable hospitals.
Topping out ceremonies began hundreds of years ago as a way to bless a building and shield it from harm. The ceremonies are a construction tradition held when the building reaches the highest point and the last beam is placed at the top of the building. The Le Bonheur Children’s beam held an evergreen tree and bore an American flag. It was painted green and showcased the signatures of employees, construction workers and patients.
More than 800 Le Bonheur employees, construction workers and patients celebrated as the beam was lifted over Poplar Avenue onto the tallest part of the 12-story tower. The new Le Bonheur has been under construction since February 2008 and is due to be completed in the summer of 2010.
Watch our Topping Out Recap Video:
Skanska USA Building is constructing the new Le Bonheur. More than 500 construction workers were on site for the ceremony that featured remarks from Le Bonheur Children’s President/CEO Meri Armour, Vice President of Building Projects Dave Rosenbaum, Director of Spiritual Care Rev. Corey Johnson and Skanska Project Executive Mike Rayburn. Jose Velazquez, vice president of the National Council of La Raza (NCLR), the largest national Latino civil rights and advocacy organization in the U.S., interpreted the ceremony. Five Le Bonheur Children’s patients whose faces are featured on the construction fencing around the new hospital site were honored as dignitaries at the ceremony.
When the new Le Bonheur Children’s is complete, it will be one of the country’s first sustainable children’s hospitals. By building the new hospital with a sustainable focus, Le Bonheur is building green, saving green and living green. This sustainability philosophy will reduce waste, conserve energy and water and provide a healthier and safer environment for patients and families.
Le Bonheur Children’s will apply for LEED certification. The Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Green Building Rating System provides an independent, third-party verification that a project meets the highest green building and performance measures.
“Le Bonheur Children’s is committed to doing what’s right for kids, and sustainability is right for kids,” said Le Bonheur President/CEO Meri Armour. “We want to do our part to help make our community and Le Bonheur Children’s the best it can be for children and families.”
Houston-based FKP Architects is the architect of record for the Le Bonheur Children’s expansion. In the past 10 years, FKP Architects has become a leader in the design of health care environments for children. FKP is the ongoing architect of choice for Texas Children’s Hospital of Houston, Cook Children’s Medical Center of Fort Worth, Texas, Children’s Medical Center of Dallas and Columbus Children's Hospital of Columbus, Ohio.
Skanska USA Building, Inc. is building the new Le Bonheur Children’s. Skanska USA is a leading national and local provider of construction, pre-construction consulting, general contracting and design-build services to a broad range of U.S. industries including health care, education, high-tech, aviation, transportation, sports and entertainment. Skanska has been ranked as the No. 1 health care builder in 2007 by Modern Healthcare. The company, part of the Skanska AB global group of companies, is headquartered in Parsippany, N.J., and has approximately 3,800 employees.
Le Bonheur Children's Medical Center is a leading children's hospital in the Mid South, providing pediatric care to children from 95 counties in six states.
50 N. Dunlap Street, Memphis, Tennessee 38103 • (901) 287-KIDS
