In July, a traditional topping out ceremony was held to celebrate an important milestone in the construction of the new Kaiser Permanente Oakland Medical Center.
The leaders and employees of Kaiser Permanente, the general contractor of the project, McCarthy Building Companies and neighborhood leaders marked the celebration by signing on the final steel beam weighing 1200 lbs. The beam was then secured in place.
The 12 storied medical center containing 349-bed hospital will tentatively open in 2014. The state-mandated earthquake safety protocol required of all hospitals in California has been met for the construction of the medical center.
The President of McCarthy Building Companies’ Northern Pacific Division, Rich Henry stated that as the project’s general contractor, the company stressed on making use of innovative technologies to streamline project delivery.
The project was divided into phases. The first phase, which included the opening of the Cancer Center, the Broadway Medical Office Building and a parking garage was concluded in May 2009. The second phase included a specialty medical office building and the hospital complex containing about 99 medical provider offices, 7 outpatient procedure rooms and 6 outpatient operating rooms. The facility also contains a 1200 stall parking area.
Source: www.kaiserpermanente.org