The Cost To Build USF’s New Medical School Has Jumped $16 Million

With just four months to go before the University of South Florida opens its new medical school in downtown Tampa, the cost of the building is rising by another $16 million.

The USF Board of Trustees tentatively approved the increase on Tuesday, but with conditions. Board members directed medical school officials to provide a “floor-by-floor breakdown” of expenses and a detailed review of what led to the shortfall in funds, all within the next five days.

The construction budget for the USF Health Morsani College of Medicine and Heart Health Institute has risen from $172.9 million in October 2017 to $189 million.

The increase was blamed on unanticipated costs for research equipment, technology and furniture as well as a general rise in construction costs. The building, which is 90 percent complete, is expected to open in time for classes beginning Jan. 13.

University officials originally earmarked $152 million for construction and design costs of the building in 2015. The board revised the budget to $172.9 million in 2017, when the school decided to add two floors.

Trustees did not take the new request for more funding lightly.

Jordan Zimmerman, the board’s chairman, at first told the USF Health team behind the medical school project that there wasn’t enough extra money in the school’s budget to accommodate their request. He suggested USF Health seek more donations to meet the new costs, and he dismissed any thought of asking the state for more funding.

The 95,000-square-foot, 13-story tower has been billed as a state-of-the-art teaching and research facility connecting USF’s campus with downtown Tampa.

Tampa General Hospital, the teaching partner of USF Health, signed a $20 million lease for 25,000 square feet of space inside the new building. USF’s College of Pharmacy will also use some space, thanks to a $10 million donation from the Taneja Family Foundation.

When it opens, the building will house about 1,800 students and researchers.

USF Health warned about the potential impact of tariffs, which could continue to drive up construction costs this year. Design and construction make up the bulk of the expenses for the building, which rose from $143.5 million in 2014 to $150.8 million in 2019. The two additional floors cost around $10.3 million. Technology costs for the building are estimated to be $9.6 million.

USF officials said they are continuing to seek donations for the project. The majority of the funding is coming from the state, with some from USF’s auxiliary and foundation support.

 

Source: Tampa Bay Times

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New 61,000-SF Family Health Center In Lehigh Acres Nears Completion

The tallest building in Lehigh Acres, a medical Taj Mahal that will cater to some of Southwest Florida’s lowest-income residents, is nearing completion.

Family Health Centers of Southwest Florida, a three-story building that at 65-feet tall will eclipse in height the nearby Lehigh Regional Medical Center, is scheduled to be completed in November.

The non-profit organization will continue providing medical services to about 82,000 migrant worker, homeless and economically-challenged patients at 3415 Lee Blvd., in Lehigh Acres.

This is at the southeast corner of Lee Boulevard and Sara Avenue North. The new headquarters will be across the street from the organization’s current Lehigh facilities, which will be vacated and up for lease, likely to other medical tenants.

Although the new building broke ground by contractor Owen Ames Kimball in May 2018, the project has been about six years in the making.

“Every three years, we do a community needs assessment to determine what our needs are,” said Angela Kearley, the director of financial operations since 2009.

That means the genesis of this 62,546-square-foot structure occurred in 2014. Parker Mudgett and Smith Architects of Fort Myers designed the building, and David Douglas Associates Inc., served as the civil engineer.

“It all started with looking for land,” Kearley said.

Family Health Centers purchased the plot for $1.35 million in March 2018. Administrators are not yet ready to reveal the construction costs.

“We go over there once a week,” Kearley said. “We’ve seen it from dirt to near completion.”

The front will feature an atrium-like grand entrance with a wall of windows and circular light fixtures.

The size of the building and the need for more services will allow for the employees to grow in number from 35 to 65. The organization has about 500 employees total at 16 other locations.

“We want our patients to feel like they’re just as important as anybody else,” said Becky Anderson, finance assistant, of the building’s grand nature. “This part of our population is often overlooked. They deserve quality of providers as well as quality of surroundings. The scale of it is very grand. At the same time, it’s very personable.

“We’re very excited.”

Lehigh recently eclipsed 100,000 residents. That means more restaurant chains and services are on the way, said Jim Boback, owner of Boback Commercial Group. He has closed on land in recent months that will become a grocery store, a pediatric practice and a day care center.

“Lehigh is booming,” Boback said. “People just don’t realize it. In the past three to four to five years, they passed the 100,000 threshold in population. That’s why you’re starting to see a lot of this stuff pop up.

“Lehigh is not some sleepy retirement community. The average age out there is 32 to 42 with 2.4 kids, averaging $50,000 in income. It’s a complete metamorphosis from what it was. A lot of people have the same misconception of whatever Lehigh used to be. It’s a totally different dynamic than 10 years ago. You won’t find an Olive Garden. You won’t find a Chili’s. But at some point, those are coming.”

To get a grip on growth in Lehigh requires a glimpse at new single-family home permits. There were 68 in Lehigh between 2009 and 2013. There were 138 in August of 2018, said Nelson Taylor, a market research analyst for LSI Companies.

“Just in one month,” Taylor said. “All of that housing growth, you’re seeing a lot of new retail players out there. The home prices are going up, and that’s bringing in a higher level, medium income. Retailers look at traffic counts, median income, and they’ll look at surrounding rooftops. Lehigh is starting to hit all three of those.”

 

Source: News-Press

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AdventHealth Opens $20M Mission Control Facility

A new unit at the AdventHealth Orlando campus will bring some innovative tools for the hospital system to care for patients across its footprint.

The nonprofit health care provider on Aug. 28 opened its approximately $20 million, 12,000-square-foot Mission Control Center, which it created in partnership with GE Healthcare Partners. The fourth-floor unit will allow the hospital to manage factors such as emergency vehicle dispatch, patient care management and sorting patients between units with the help of artificial intelligence to make decisions.

“AdventHealth is at the leading edge in deploying this technology to help provide the best, most efficient care possible for our patients,” Daryl Tol, president and CEO of AdventHealth’s Central Florida Division, said in a prepared statement. “While the command center is invisible to patients, our team of experts will be there around the clock to make sure patients receive the care they need, quickly and safely.”

The 24-hour center will be run by 50 staff members from several fields, including Emergency Medical Services and flight dispatch, nurses and transit specialists. In total, the unit will oversee 2,900-plus patient beds at nine AdventHealth hospitals in Orange, Osceola and Seminole counties.

AdventHealth is not the only hospital in the state to adapt a Mission Control to try to improve patient care. Tampa General Hospital last week opened an 8,000-square-foot center in partnership with GE Healthcare Partners in room that previously housed servers for the hospital, sister paper Tampa Bay Business Journal reported.

That facility, dubbed CareComm, first opened last December in a temporary space and has helped the hospital and its patients realize $10 million in savings. The facility also decreased readmissions by 5% and cut hospital admission costs from $9,000 to $8,500 on average per patient.

Founded in 1908, the $3.36 billion nonprofit AdventHealth system provided $196 million in uncompensated health care in its Central Florida division in 2018. Its holdings include 11 local hospitals in Orlando, Altamonte Springs, Winter Park, Celebration, Winter Garden, Longwood, Kissimmee and Apopka; urgent care centers, imaging and diagnostic centers, laboratories, and sports medicine and rehabilitation centers.

 

Source: OBJ

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Linkpoint Properties Nabs Pasteur Medical Center In Hialeah

Linkpoint Properties, a local real estate investment and management firm led by Camilo Niño, Ricardo Uribe and Alex Sanchez, announced the acquisition of the 10,662 square-foot Pasteur Medical Center at 4440 W. 16th Ave. in Hialeah.

The Seller, Orion Group Realty, sold the two-story property to Linkpoint Properties for $4.7 million. Closing took place August 30, 2019. Orion Group Realty originally purchased the property, which was vacant at the time, in August 2018 for $2.025 million.

Jonathan Baixauli of Orion Group Realty represented both the Seller and Linkpoint Properties on this transaction.

Pasteur Medical Services is one of the largest medical providers in South Florida, with 12 centers strategically positioned throughout Dade and Broward Counties. The Hialeah facility was constructed in 1985 and is an out-parcel to Flamingo Park Plaza, a 192,460 SF community center anchored by Dollar Tree, Goodwill and Navarro Discount Pharmacy.

The transaction marks the 10th acquisition for Linkpoint Properties since launching its acquisition program in 2017. The firm is backed by approximately $100 million in funds. Recent acquisitions include United Rentals in Pompano Beach, Chase on the Miami River; McDonald’s and Tire Kingdom in Hialeah; and FedEx and a Wells Fargo branch in Atlanta, among others.

Founded in 2016, Linkpoint Properties, with offices in Atlanta and Miami, is focused on the acquisition of commercial real estate assets throughout the southeast region with a large portfolio of single-tenant properties, shopping centers and industrial assets in Florida and Georgia. Linkpoint Properties was formed from a partnership between Linkvest Capital, LLC and Cornerpoint Partners, LLC.

 

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